In reference to the report (Perth family forced to call tent home) and the editorial (Life of poverty the other side of boom) in Wednesday’s (22 May) edition of The West Australian.

The plight of the Parkinson family, and many other WA families forced to live in tents or cars, has become all too common and is a direct function of the ongoing failure of the private rental market to provide for low income households in this State.

It is also a further reminder that we simply do not have enough social housing. The number of applicants on the public housing wait list is nearly double what it was a decade ago and waiting times continue to increase. Read more →

(http://www NULL.abc NULL.net NULL.au/news/2013-05-22/refugee-advocates-says-housing-shortage-critical/4705206?section=wa)Housing advocates interviewed by the ABC say the critical shortage of rental accommodation in Perth is worsening, particularly for refugees struggling to establish a new life in WA.

In the interview, Housing Crisis Committee chairwoman Mandy Whitton said despite a petition to the State Government last November calling for swift action to address the affordable rental shortage, many families are still facing homelessness and remain desperate.

Click here to read the article on the ABC website. (http://www NULL.abc NULL.net NULL.au/news/2013-05-22/refugee-advocates-says-housing-shortage-critical/4705206?section=wa)

CHCWA has previously covered the issue of housing humanitarian entrants in our quarterly newsletter, The Insider. Click here to read (page 5 & 6)

(http://www NULL.abc NULL.net NULL.au/news/2013-05-22/salvation-army-hand-out-food-to-homeless-man/4705062)The Salvation Army’s biggest ever survey has found over half of respondents often go without meals and two-thirds have cut down on buying basic necessities.

The National Economic and Social Impact Survey surveyed 2,700 people across more than 200 Salvation Army centres around Australia. It has been released ahead of the Red Shield Appeal this weekend.

Read more →

Access Housing will soon be tenanting a 48 unit affordable housing project in Goderich Street in East Perth.

The brand new complex comprises 26 unfurnished two-bedroom units and 22 unfurnished one-bedroom units which are available for rent at 80% of prevailing market rental value. Six units have been designed in accordance with the Adaptable Housing Standards. To be eligible tenants must meet income eligibility limits, they must work in the inner suburbs and the leases will be limited to a maximum of three years.

The complex, which is owned by the City of Perth and managed by Access Housing, will be ready to let in June this year.

Those interested in applying for tenancy should contact Access Housing (http://www NULL.accesshousing NULL.org NULL.au/tenants/am-i-eligible-2/key-city-workers-housing/).

The Minister for Child Protection, the Hon Helen Morton, has provided an update on the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness in a response to a question without notice from the Hon Lynn MacLaren in the Legislative Council on 16 May 2013.

The questions are in italics and the Minister’s responses are in normal text.

Read more →

Two studies just released show the need for financial counselling and better financial assistance, in the form of the CRA, on low income earners:

I wish I’d known sooner! The impact of financial counselling on debt resolution and personal wellbeing

This national survey of 225 financial counselling clients was commissioned by The Salvation Army and conducted by the Swinburne Institute at Swinburne University in Melbourne in July 2012. The study investigated the impact of The Salvation Army’s financial counselling service on clients’ ability to resolve or reduce their financial difficulties, as well as health and wellbeing and financial

Read more →

The number of first home buyers seeking to enter the market is at its highest level in almost three and a half years, according to new data released yesterday by the WA Department of Treasury.  The median first time buyer house price also hit a new all-time high in April.

Treasury received 1,912 First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) applications in April, 7.7 per cent more than the previous month and 51 per cent more than the same time last year.

The number of applications is the highest since the First Home Owner’s Boost (FHOB) period, when the Commonwealth Government tripled the size of the grant to $21,000 for new dwellings and doubled it to $14,000 for established dwellings as part of its nation building stimulus package.
Read more →

The number of home repossession applications lodged with the Supreme Court of Western Australia has jumped sharply in the March quarter 2013.

New statistics released by the Supreme Court show it received 297 repossession applications in March 2013, 110 or 59 per cent more than the December quarter 2012.

The March quarter increase again takes the number applications lodged with the court above the 10 year quarterly average of 217 per quarter.
Read more →

Consumer Protection is hosting a series of free seminars to explain upcoming law changes which will affect community housing providers and private landlords in WA.

A new version of the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 is due to commence on 1 July 2013.

Key points covered in the free seminars will include:

Read more →

The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) has released their regulatory approach statement that explains who they are and how they will regulate, and use their powers in relation to, charitable organisations operating in Australia. This will be relevant to some community housing providers in WA. Read more →

The latest performance report from the Government’s National Rental Affordability Scheme (http://www NULL.fahcsia NULL.gov NULL.au/sites/default/files/documents/05_2013/nras_monthly_performance_report_march_2013 NULL.pdf)(NRAS) shows a marked increase in the roll out of affordable rental housing across Australia.

The report show almost 1,000 homes were delivered under NRAS in March 2013, representing a 65 per cent increase on the previous month.

Nationally almost 13,000 homes have been built and 25,000 are in progress; WA now has a total of 5,538 incentives, reserved and allocated, which is 14 per cent of the national total.

Read more →

Changes to the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) will come into effect from 1 July 2013.

The changes represent the biggest overhaul of the RTA in 27 years.  Around 26 per cent of West Australians rent their home, representing around 200,000 dwellings throughout the state.

The changes will also apply to community housing providers.  CHCWA is currently organising an information session for providers which we will advertise once a date has been finalised. Read more →