| WA Labor recognises that housing cost is the biggest cause of financial hardship in low income households, which then puts pressure on food, power and other costs.
WA Labor will continue to support agencies that house the homeless.
WA Labor will release a policy addressing housing closer to the election. We will also work hard in negotiations with the Commonwealth for a National Partnership
Agreement that extends beyond the current 1 year extension, ensuring certainty for this part of the sector.
Private rental housing is more affordable if land supply is not constricted. Under the Barnett Government, final approvals for residential blocks have dropped from 18,000 per year to 11 ,000.
WA Labor released a policy to streamline approvals so that more affordable housing becomes available. We will continue to support Keystart for low income earners to become home owners.
WA Labor policies are available online. | The State Government is committed to tackling
homelessness and has invested an unprecedented amount into addressing the issue. In its first term the State Government committed an additional $81 million to address homeless ness, in partnership with not-for-profit agencies and Church groups.
Specific examples of this approach include partnering with St Bartholomew's House to deliver the recent Lime St Development in East Perth. The Lime Street complex, which received $25.1 million of funding from the State Government, will deliver 148 high quality beds for people who are experiencing homelessness as well as offering crisis care and dementia specific care services.
Other developments include works beginning on a new Beaufort Street homeless shelter, which will provide nightly safe accommodation for up to 10 men and has been funded to the tune of $5.4 million by the State Government; $8.3 million in funding towards helping 81 organisations to sustain and improve homelessness programs. | The Greens (WA) call for increased government investment in public housing and homelessness intervention services. We also support an expansion of community and co-operative housing through private and public funding. We promote urban planning that delivers a diversity of housing to improve affordability. Our convert to rent initiative would offer incentives to provide rental accommodation in empty warehouses and commercial buildings. More shelters are needed for the homeless and for people escaping domestic violence. We support water and energy efficiency initiatives to reduce housing costs. The housing needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples must be met as a matter of urgency. Public housing tenants should have access to relevant 'wrap-around' services, including child support, aged care, and mental health services along with home maintenance. We want to see the introduction of minimum standards in tenancy law to improve security, sustainability and affordability.
| The response from the National Party did not address the individual priorities. Please refer to response, please click here.
The following paragraph from their letter appears to be of relevance to this particular priority:
Since 2009 more than 7000 regional public sector workers have benefited from over $65.7 million in Royalties for Regions funded increases to the District Allowance. This increase is helping to attract and retain public sector workers in eligible regional areas to assist them with the higher cost of living and working in those areas. We have also invested over $200 million to constructing 400 new houses for government employees living and working in regional WA which is improving the way essential services are delivered in regional areas. |