One of WA’s leading providers of crisis accommodation services has seen a large increase in the number of families needing housing support who are unable to pay the spiralling rents and mortgages brought about by the state’s booming housing market.

Between July and December 2003, Mission Australia’s Wattle House community service in Maddington received 329 requests for housing from families. Three and a half years later, between January and June 2007, the same service had 439 families requiring housing support – an increase of more than 30 per cent.

Mission Australia’s State Director, WA, Angie Paskevicius, said due to the large increase in housing prices and rents in Perth and WA over the past three years, more and more families were finding themselves homeless, at risk of homelessness, or living in overcrowded and unsuitable accommodation.

“What’s happening in WA, and particularly in Perth, is that a growing number of families are being caught in a vicious cycle created by meteoric rises in the prices of housing and rent,” Ms Paskevicius said.
“Adding to the problem is an insufficient number of Homeswest properties to meet increased demand. The wait for Homeswest’s priority housing list - for those people assessed to be most in need of a home - can be up to 18 months or more.

“As families are priced out of affordable housing and the rental market, they either struggle to get by themselves by moving into transitional housing, such as caravans, or stay with friends and family – which often leads to unsuitable and overcrowded accommodation – or they’re coming to organisations like Mission Australia for help.

“Charities and housing organisations like ourselves are struggling to keep up with demand – both in terms of helping individuals and families find a stable home, and to also maintain their present accommodation.

“In order to access more affordable housing, many people – particularly those who find it difficult to maintain a home in the current climate because of a challenge they face (eg: disability, mental illness, drug and alcohol issues) – are heading further and further into Perth’s outlying suburbs, areas like Merriwa, Quinns Rock and Ellenbrook.

“Support services in these areas are practically non-existent, so individuals and families continue to find it a major challenge to maintain their housing – and so the cycle continues.

“This National Homeless Persons’ Week, Mission Australia is calling for a National Housing Strategy which will create a nationwide plan to, among other things, create more affordable housing, more public housing, and boost support services to help us tackle the rising numbers of homeless people,” said Ms Paskevicius.

Media contacts: John Cooke, PPR (08) 9388 0944 or 0433 679 780
Joni van der Woude PPR (08) 9388 0944 or 0431 365 549