The WA Greens have committed to ambitious social and affordable housing targets in the next term of Parliament, including building, converting or purchasing a minimum of 5,000 every single year.
The plan, announced by Dr Brad Pettitt at Shelter WA's housing forum last night, also includes a minimum 10% social and affordable housing in every new private development and 50% in every new housing development on government-owned land.
The Greens are the only party who have publicly backed the bold, evidence-based targets in Shelter WA's 2025 State Election Platform.
The plan will cost $2.5 billion annually to deliver at least 5,000 new social and affordable homes every year.
As stated by WA Greens MLC Dr Brad Pettitt:
"Everyone deserves a roof over their heads, and a safe place to call home. Whether renting or buying, our housing system should prioritise people over profit.
"Unlike Labor, Liberal and the Nationals, only the Greens have listened to the experts and are willing to put a target next to our plan to solve the housing crisis that is grounded in evidence.
"That's why I announced last night that the Greens will commit to building, converting or buying at least 5,000 new social and affordable homes every year in line with Shelter WA's 2025 election platform.
"Every new housing development, whether it's privately developed or built on government-owned land, should include social and affordable housing. There is no justification not to have these targets in place.
"By outright purchasing the 10% minimum social and affordable housing off the plan on new private developments, the government can kill two birds with one stone; increase the state's social and affordable housing stock and speed up construction of new housing developments.
"This is such a breathtakingly simple solution and yet the WA Labor government has refused to even consider it for the last four years.
"We need bold, urgent and evidence-based action to ensure every Western Australian has a secure and affordable place to call home; over the last 8 years WA has gone backwards on almost every housing metric, we can't tinker around the edges any longer."
