Geraldton housing alarm: Claims State Government trying to offload derelict public housing on to charities

Geraldton not-for-profit housing agencies already struggling to meet demand have cried out to local leaders for help, claiming the State Government is trying to offload their uninhabitable public housing properties onto them. As of last month there were 93 homes in the City of Greater Geraldton local government area that were vacant and returning to stock, including homes awaiting maintenance before being re-let, homes offered to one of the more than 600 applicants on the 99-week long waitlist and awaiting acceptance, or homes allocated to new tenants and awaiting occupation. More than 50 of these homes are within Spalding, which the State Government committed $14 million to revitalising through several projects including repairing uninhabitable public housing and decreasing the concentration of the properties in the suburb. City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said local community housing groups already stretched to their limit had come to him worried, after being contacted by the State Government to take over boarded-up public housing properties in Spalding. “I meet with community housing providers often, especially recently, and as part of those conversations they have raised they have been approached by the State Government,” he said. “The State Government has failed to renew any houses for a number of years, so the idea they are looking to offload them without having taken action to restore them is alarming. “The priority should be restoring homes for services rather than offloading unfit homes.” Mr Van Styn said the State Government had abandoned the Spalding Precinct Plan it initiated in 2017. “The council was told there was $14m in funding attached to the plan, but then subsequently told there was no money for the plan by then-housing minister Peter Tinley, and since then we haven’t heard anything in relation to the Spalding plan,” he said. “If the State Government are saying they aren’t offloading homes, what are their plans to bring them up to scratch? “I am calling on them to implement the Spalding Revitalisation Plan and restore vacant housing to working order.” A Department of Communities spokesperson said they were “not aware” of any “current proposals” that would see the ownership of government-owned assets transferred to the not-for-profit sector. The department did not address questions regarding the availability and maintenance of public housing properties in Spalding. Geraldton MP Lara Dalton said she and Mr Van Styn had spoken about his concerns and the State Government was planning to “maximise” the use of existing public housing in Geraldton. “I have had a number of conversations with the mayor and continue to encourage a good open dialogue about the concerns he has raised,” she said. “I’ve spoken to the Housing Minister, and understand that planning is under way to maximise use of existing public housing stock in Geraldton. “I have also met with the Department of Communities, Regional Alliance West, and Centacare, and been involved in the Housing First initiative.” Shadow minister for housing Steve Martin said the State Government was shirking its responsibility to provide public housing. “The issue with Spalding is exactly what we heard at the meeting recently, the locals have been putting up with the state of Spalding for years,” he said. “Fifty to 60 boarded-up homes is simply inappropriate, we need the minister to respond quickly to tell us how many homes will be fixed and how many new ones will be built. “The not-for-profit organisations I've met are distraught at the moment because they can’t keep up with the demand they have now. Those organisations simply don’t have the budget or resources to fix that situation, it makes no sense whatsoever.” New WA Housing Minister John Carey declined to comment on the issue, instead referring questions from the Guardian to the Department of Communities.