A review of the public housing system is needed, according to South West MLC Barry House.
The comment comes after it was revealed in Parliament question time that nearly half of the people waiting for a home in Margaret River are not locals.
It was said that of the 49 people on the public housing wait list for the town, just 25 are local residents.
Mr House does not think this is good enough.
“Obviously the Margaret River region is an attractive area to live in so understandably people from all over often nominate to live here, and if they are on a higher priority on the waiting list, that gives them a priority over local residents, “ Mr House said.
“I don’t think this is fair on genuine locals who need the public housing service.
“These houses keep families together which in turn keeps society together; they are a vital and needed part of the community.”
However, WA Housing Authority general manager Greg Cash claims that 48 people on the list are from the area.
“Demand for public housing in Margaret River is lower relative to other areas in the South West and across the State,” Mr Cash said.
“Of the 48 applicants on the waiting list for Margaret River, 38 are from the South West region.
“There are currently no applications listed on a priority basis for the town.”
While there are no plans to review the system, Housing Minister Colin Holt said the state government are looking into appropriate ways to address the issue of public housing.
“The state government will further address affordable housing in the South West region through its $560 million Social Housing Investment Package, announced in the 2015-16 Budget,” Mr Holt said.
“The package will deliver a further 1,500 homes and will halve the current priority public housing waitlist for families and seniors by 2017.”
Mr House said that while extra housing is always welcomed in the area, there should always be a priority placed on locals.
“It is my strong belief that the best outcome for anyone is to own their own home, and genuine locals should always be put as the priority.
“I hope my call for a review is taken seriously into the future, to ensure the Margaret River and South West communities are being taken care of.”
