Western Australia’s housing crisis has continued to worsen with recent figures revealing the tightest market in more than 40 years.
WA’s already tough rental market has now hit a new low with the Real Estate Institute of WA figures revealing Perth’s rental vacancy rate plunged to 0.6 per cent in December.
“The latest numbers from REIWA are bad news for West Australians searching for a home,” Shadow Housing Minister Steve Martin MLC said.
“What is the Government’s plan to address this housing crisis?
“Housing Minister John Carey has overseen a spiralling of wait times for social housing, the Government own less homes than they did four years ago and the private rental market is the tightest it has been for over 40 years.”
Perth renters are now being forced to bid over the asking price and paying months of rent in advance just to secure suitable housing.
“The Government needs to treat the situation as a housing emergency. Western Australians are paying the price for government delays in releasing and developing land for housing.”
The stress of rising rents and lack of housing will add to the cost of living pressures already hurting the most vulnerable in our community.
The market for rental housing is even tighter is some key regional centres.
“Albany and Kalgoorlie have even lower vacancy rates than metropolitan Perth and regional WA desperately needs support and attention from Housing Minister Carey,” said Mr Martin.
“After six years under the McGowan Government and nearly our second year with Mr Carey as Housing Minister, he needs to decide if he’s going to fix the problems, or just oversee them.”