Arabic version: حكومة غرب أستراليا تعيد هيكلة قائمة انتظار الإسكان بينما يعيش متقاعد في سيارته
Pensioner Mark Unsworth, 68, has expressed his frustration with the social support system while living in his car in Perth. He is currently on the public housing waitlist, waiting for a home and has stated he has “lost faith” in the system. According to ABC News, the Western Australia government recently announced a significant overhaul of the housing waitlist aimed at prioritizing applicants with “urgent and complex needs”.
Housing Minister John Carey revealed that this is the first major change to the state’s housing waitlist in 70 years. The new system will replace the existing “wait turn” model, which allocates housing based on the length of time applicants have been on the list. However, these changes are not expected to take effect until 2028, leaving many, including Unsworth, questioning the current waitlist’s effectiveness.
Unsworth has been living in his car for the past few months after a terrible experience renting privately. He was on the general social housing waitlist for one year before being bumped up to the priority list, where he remains after another year. He is still uncertain about his progress in the queue for a home in Busselton. Despite welcoming the upcoming reforms, he believes immediate action is necessary to assist those in desperate need.
Support worker Dr. Betsy Buchanan from Daydawn Advocacy Centre has echoed Unsworth’s concerns, stating that the long waitlist poses a risk to individuals relying on it. She emphasized the trauma involved in gathering evidence for housing applications and called for the government to address the needs of those on the waitlist before the new system is implemented.
The social housing waitlist in WA has reportedly grown about 37 percent over the last five years, with the priority list expanding by 146 percent during the same period. Political opposition, including the WA Greens and Liberals, has vowed to continue pressing the government for solutions and greater transparency regarding the waitlist and its management.
