Social Housing Taskforce Report Final
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More than a Roof and Four Walls Social Housing Taskforce Final Report - 30 June 2009 Chair’s Foreword One of the fundamental needs of any human being is shelter. It rates up there with food and water! Unfortunately access to quality, affordable housing is not available to all Western Australians. After decades of inaction and lack of investment by successive governments, many indicators, such as the public housing waitlist and housing stress, have clearly been at unacceptable levels for far too long. The Social Housing Taskforce members were invited therefore to review all options for addressing these issues and to try and meet an aspirational target of 20,000 new social and affordable housing units by 2020. In the last six months we have consulted, analysed, deliberated and reviewed the data and the day-to-day realities of the Western Australian housing market. We believe that the aspirational target can be met, but only with a significant change in the way which housing is managed in this State. It will take a whole of government, whole of community commitment with a new way of looking at this crucial component of people’s lives. The Department of Housing will need to take a new leadership role within a comprehensive social and affordable housing continuum which supports individuals and families from homelessness to home ownership. It will also have to be led by continuing significant investment, by both Federal and State Governments, into the social and affordable housing continuum. The recent economic stimulus packages for example will create an additional 2,600 housing units in Western Australia. This momentum cannot be lost. The Taskforce also recognises that a house is much more than a roof and four walls. When people are facing significant crisis and/or making major life transitions like leaving out-of-home care, or periods of incarceration, they need strong levels of support to maintain their housing stability and move onto housing sustainability. Capital investment in the housing market must be matched by high levels of individual and family support for people in crisis or at significant risk of falling into crisis. The Social Housing Taskforce Report “More than a Roof and Four Walls” is a carefully considered and integrated response to a long-term complex problem. We believe that there is no simple solution or “silver bullet” but rather the need for a total integrated system response which will encompass supply and demand side initiatives and the ongoing goodwill and investment by all levels of government, the private sector, the community sector and by the wider community. I would like to thank all of the members of the Taskforce for their fantastic efforts during these last six months. The contribution of all members has been significant and our deliberations have been marked by a high level of commitment, goodwill and unanimity. I would also like to thank the Taskforce Secretariat which has done an outstanding job in researching, reviewing and synthesizing a massive amount of material. We all commend this Report to the Western Australian community with a hope that all of the stakeholders in this important work can move forward together to implement the findings and recommendations we have crafted together. In the last six months together we have done a great deal of work but much more needs to be done and the current momentum in social and affordable housing cannot be lost. The future economic and social prosperity of all Western Australians will be diminished if we do not respond to these challenges. Ian Carter AM Chair Social Housing Taskforce Social Housing Taskforce Membership Mr Ian Carter Chief Executive Officer Taskforce Chair Anglicare WA Executive Officer Mr Colin McClughan Community Housing Coalition of WA Chief Executive Officer Ms Sue Ash Western Australian Council of Social Services Director, Community & Economic Development Directorate - Mr Ian Hill City of Mandurah Western Australian Local Government Association Chief Executive Officer Ms Anne Arnold Real Estate Institute of Western Australia General Manager – Ross Griffin Homes Ms Emma Benney Housing Industry Association Chief Executive Officer Mr Russell Gibbs Hawaiian Group Pty Ltd Manager, Research and Policy Ms Judith Harley Urban Development Institute of Australia (Western Australia) State General Manager Mr Andrew Whitechurch National Australia Bank Executive Director Mr Shane Hamilton Social Housing Coordinator Department of Housing i Social Housing Taskforce Terms of Reference The Taskforce will provide advice to the Minister for Housing on how to expand the supply of social housing and consider as part of its deliberations: 1. National and international models of social housing financing and provision which may be applicable to Western Australia (supported by evidence which is comparable and reliable) 2. Strategies to increase the participation of the community housing sector, not for profit organisations, the private sector and local government in the provision of, and management of, social housing 3. The long term role of the State within a modern social housing framework considering aspects including the provision of dwellings, management of tenants, management of waitlists, regulatory frameworks, and provider of partnership based funding 4. Strategies to improve the optimisation and utilisation of current public housing stock 5. Funding models that identify new and innovative approaches to long term sustainable funding including the investment of private sector capital 6. Methodologies to underpin demand modelling and the setting of appropriate long term targets for the level of social housing provision 7. Observations regarding the capacity of the public, private and community sectors to support the new approaches identified by the Taskforce, and ways in which this capacity can be enhanced, if required 1 Contents Glossary Executive Summary i List of Recommendations v 1 Background and Context of the Housing Continuum in Western Australia 1 1.1 Key Definitions in the Affordable Housing Continuum 1 1.1.1 Social Housing 1 1.1.2 Affordable Housing 1 1.1.3 Housing Stress 1 1.1.4 Affordable Living 2 1.2 Historical Context 2 1.3 The Housing System 5 1.3.1 The Housing Continuum 5 1.3.2 Changes in Housing Tenure in Western Australia 6 1.3.3 Housing Income Levels 7 1.4 Home Ownership in Western Australia 7 1.5 Private Rental Market in Western Australia 8 1.5.1 Housing Stress in the Private Rental Market 10 1.6 Homelessness 10 1.7 Social Housing Stock and Construction 10 1.8 Income and Expenditure for Public Housing in Western Australia 12 1.9 Public Housing Waiting List 13 1.9.1 Priority Waiting List 14 1.9.2 Waiting Times and Stock Turnover 15 1.9.3 Implications of Targeting in the Public Housing System 16 1.10 National Affordable Housing Agreement 18 2 Understanding the Current and Future Need for Social and Affordable Housing in Western Australia 22 2.1 The Public Housing Waiting List 22 Using Demographic and Economic Forecasts to Predict Social and 2.2 22 Affordable Housing Need 2.3 Demographic Trends and Social Housing Need 23 2.4 Impact of the Ageing Population 24 2.4.1 The Residential Aged Care Sector 24 2.5 The Housing Needs of Specific Demographic Groups 25 2.5.1 Aboriginal Households 25 2.5.2 Humanitarian Migrant Households 26 2.6 Transitions Through the Housing System 27 2.7 Tools and Sources to Quantify Demand for Social Housing 27 2.7.1 National Housing Supply Council 27 2.7.2 Commonwealth Rent Assistance Data 28 2.8 Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute 29 2.9 A New Demand Model 29 2 Contents 3 Regional and Aboriginal Housing Issues 32 3.1 Understanding the Context of Affordable Housing in the Regions 32 3.2 Taskforce Understanding of Regional Housing Challenges 34 3.3 Addressing Regional Housing Needs 35 3.3.1 Implementation of Regional Housing Planning Mechanisms 36 Increase in Commonweatlh Rent Assistance and National Rental 3.3.2 36 Affordability Scheme Subsidies in Regions 3.3.3 Introduction of a Rental Subsidy Pilot Scheme in the Pilbara 36 3.4 Aboriginal Specific Housing Issues 37 3.4.1 Framework for Moving Forward on Aboriginal Housing Issues 38 4 Moving to an Affordable Housing Continuum: Modernising Social Housing in Western Australia 40 4.1 Affordable Housing Continuum 41 4.2 Crisis Accommodation 42 4.3 Moving to “One Affordable Housing System” 44 4.3.1 Current Deficiencies of the Public Housing Waiting List 44 4.3.2 Moving from a Waiting List to a Housing Needs Register 45 4.4 Improving the Current Social Housing System 47 4.4.1 Clients with Long-Term Social Housing Needs 47 4.4.2 Addressing Income Ineligible Public Housing Clients 48 4.4.3 Addressing Under-Occupancy in Public Housing 48 4.4.4 Reviewing Rent Setting 50 4.4.5 Commitment to Bond Assistance 50 4.5 Improving Support Services to Social and Affordable Housing Tenants 50 Link Between Support Services and Transition of Households 4.5.1 51 through the Housing Continuum 4.5.2 Support Housing Assistance Program 52 A Housing Plan for Tenants - Ensuring Access to Appropriate 4.5.3 52 Support Packages 4.5.4 The Cost of Providing Appropriate Support Packages 53 5 Working in Partnership with the Private and Non-Government Sector to Attract Finance for Social and Affordable Housing 56 5.1 Difficulties in Attracting Institutional Investment in Affordable Housing 56 5.1.1 National Rental Affordability Scheme 57 Solution Based Approach for Attracting Institutional Investment in 5.2 57 Affordable Housing 5.2.1 Establishing a Housing Innovations Team 58 5.2.2 Housing Innovations