Shadow Housing Minister, the Hon Steve Martin MLC has backed industry calls for immediate action on WA’s housing shortage crisis.
The call to action comes after Housing Industry Association executive director Michal McGowan wrote to the Premier’s office.
The West Australian reported the HIA predicted a housing shortage over the next four years and has called for thousands of additional skilled tradies in order to counteract the prediction.
Mr Martin said the letter reflected the growing concerns in the community on available housing supply.
“It’s a very telling sign when you have industry bodies telling the State Government the same thing.
“The State Government and the Housing Minister keep insisting that the problem isn’t serious, continuously citing WA’s affordability compared to the rest of Australia.
“Industry has raised the alarm again with the McGowan Government about the housing crisis facing Western Australians.
“The housing crisis in WA is far from over with industry projections of a projected shortfall of up to 85,000 homes over the next four years.
“Housing Minister John Carey has been unable to stop the growth of the number of Western Australians on the public housing wait list, hasn’t been able to add to the stock of public housing and the private rental vacancy rate remains very low.
“It’s clear 2023 will be a very challenging year for Western Australians trying to enter the home market or find a rental.
“The lack of available housing will be a handbrake on the ability of businesses to grow and employ extra staff,” said Mr Martin
