Ministers clash over allocation of unspent social housing funds amid housing crisis in regional WA

State Housing Minister John Carey has fired back at shadow housing minister Steve Martin during a visit to Albany this week after criticism of the allocation of funding to social housing to regional WA. Mr Carey said he did not give Agricultural MLC Mr Martin “any credit in relation to this debate” after Mr Martin described the allocation of funding for social housing as “spin and poor delivery” last week. Mr Martin’s comments came after a WA Auditor General’s report revealed the State Government had only delivered two per cent of its promised $319 million for social housing relief between July 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021. The report also found 39 per cent of the $2.144 billion the State Government allocated to 30 financial relief and stimulus funding initiatives had not been used. Mr Martin said it was “extraordinary” that the State Government could have had this stimulus money made available and then not use it to spend on social housing. “When homelessness rates are up, private rental rates are down, it's impossible to rent a home, social housing wait lists have gone through the roof and yet only two per cent of the money available from the COVID stimulus has been spent,” he said. “It’s all about spin and not about delivery, it’s a lack of priorities.” Shadow treasurer Steve Thomas followed a similar line of criticism to Mr Martin, saying the McGowan Government had promised an immediate start on the social housing package and it was damning that the funds had not been spent in a timely manner. “That is a paltry two per cent success rate at getting the funding to where it was needed on time in the middle of a recognised housing crisis,” Mr Thomas said. “By March this year we were already in the middle of a housing crisis, with people around the State unable to find homes. At the same time the stimulus spending on housing was a tiny trickle.” Mr Martin said he “can guarantee” the State Government would prioritise metropolitan and coastal jurisdictions for the allocation of the remaining funds over inland regional WA. “So don’t expect a storm of activity in Katanning, Wagin and Narrogin.” But Mr Carey rebuked those claims, saying he was disappointed by the attacks and negativity from Mr Martin. He said he respectfully disagreed with the Auditor General, who’s report was now “outdated”. “It was never the expectation or understanding that you would deliver a program within 6-8 months. It wasn’t a sugar hit. It was a program designed as part of our COVID recovery efforts,” he said. Mr Carey was visiting Albany shortly after the announcement of a $100 million boost set to deliver 200 modular homes, with 150 allocated for regional Western Australians. He also rejected Mr Martin’s claims inland regional WA would be the last priority for social housing. “Homes are allocated based on need first of all. So whether there is a need for social housing and particularly priority social housing then that is where they will be allocated. It is not about politics,” he said. “It is disappointing that Steve Martin seems to be suggesting that. “It is not as the Minister that I step in and say that I want housing here, it is based on the advice by the agencies about where we allocate according to need. And that is where it should be. So I am really disappointed in Steve Martin’s approach, it is constant negativity. “We have set aside $522 million as part of a social housing fund for the outer years, so the last two years of this term once the construction boom has finished so we can provide a pipeline of work in terms of social housing. “So it isn’t over, there is more investment to come in social housing.”