Real Estate Institute of WA boss Joe White calls on State Government to ‘get real’ on housing crisis

The head of WA’s top real estate body has voiced his continued frustration at the lack of progress in tackling the housing crisis.

The comments from Real Estate Institute of WA president and Dunsborough-based realtor Joe White come at a time when many in his industry were celebrating.

But, amid reports from the Times last week showing the State Government had not bought or finished construction of any new social housing in the district since 2021, concerns were escalating the State Government and Housing Minister John Carey were moving too slow.

Mr White told the Times the minister and State planners needed to look for big projects to add stock to the housing market for the sake of people at-risk of homelessness, as well as shortfalls in housing seasonal workers.

Facing such challenges in past decades, the State Government had fast-tracked homes and other big housing projects to meet demand, Mr White said.

“How complex does it really have to be?” he said.

“I don’t want to hear another bureaucratic or planning excuse about how it can’t happen.

“I want to see someone in the system tell me how it can happen.”

Mr White said he felt the State’s planning system was “overburdened” by processes and lacked motivation to deliver concrete results.

The realtor’s views were echoed by Just Home Margaret River project manager Galatee Underwood who reiterated previous calls for immediate fast-tracking of significant social housing projects here and in other areas of need.

“Just Home has consistently called for a large-scale roll-out of social and affordable housing in our region,” she said.

Just Home and partners had identified at least two potential sites languishing without State Government support.

Ms Underwood also noted a lack of investment in Just Home’s own housing referral service would soon see residents in crisis unable to access local support.

“The demand is there and it is needed,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River continued to lobby ministers for action, with hopes pinned on a medium-density project based on a defunct Water Corporation site on Willmott Avenue.

However, a State Government spokesperson responding to Mr White’s challenge said wait times for social housing in the region were largely unchanged or had decreased.

The ministerial spokesperson also said high-density social housing enclaves had previously “delivered poor social outcomes for both tenants and local communities”.

“The State Government continues to work with the private sector to identify and utilise government-owned land for development opportunities and operates an open call process for submissions aimed at boosting housing supply,” they said.

“The State Government continues to prioritise important planning reforms aimed at removing barriers to medium and high-density housing.”

Cited changes included streamlining WA’s development assessment panel system, the permanency of the new State Development Assessment Authority and streamlining online pathways for developers, applicants and residents, as was the decision to support five-storey apartment blocks in Dunsborough.

Mr White previously said those apartments were no solution to the housing crisis because the eventual asking price would not favour anyone facing housing stress.