Housing Minister John Carey has announced 12 community housing organisations and local governments will share in a further $39 million in funding to deliver more than 150 new social housing properties across Western Australia.
The grants are provided through the McGowan Government’s Social Housing Economic Recovery Package (SHERP), drawn from the Social Housing Investment Fund (SHIF), a $750 million investment to boost the State’s social housing by 3,300 properties over the next four years.
The first $39 million SHERP New Builds Grant Round 1, announced in early 2022, is currently assisting the community housing sector to deliver more than 170 new social housing dwellings.
Round 2 grant projects will support the community housing sector to deliver new social housing dwellings (houses, units and apartments), transitional housing and crisis accommodation to support vulnerable Western Australians, with a significant investment in regional projects.
A number of projects in Round 2 are scheduled to deliver significant social housing benefits to the South-West including Dalyellup, Donnybrook, Busselton and Witchcliffe, while the Shire of Shark Bay will receive an injection of $4 million. This commitment builds upon the State Government’s Round 1 investment, where the community housing sector is delivering new social dwellings in the regions including Collie, Brunswick and Dwellingup.
Rounds 1 and 2 of the McGowan Government’s SHERP Grants Program are set to deliver more than 320 new social housing dwellings across WA.
The State Government previously announced nearly $58 million in funding through the refurbishment stream of the SHERP Grants Program, which will support 47 community housing providers to undertake more than 800 refurbishment projects of dwellings across WA.
This is part of the McGowan Government’s $2.4 billion investments being made in social housing and homelessness measures, which includes the delivery of 3,300 social houses and the refurbishment and maintenance of many thousands more.
As stated by Housing Minister John Carey:
”Our Government’s message is clear – we are using every lever at hand, to bolster the supply of social housing across the State.
“We continue to support the Community Housing Sector through two rounds of our SHERP Grants Program, which will help deliver hundreds of new social housing dwellings.
“This significant funding of nearly $40 million is about providing critical financial support to the community housing sector to deliver a wide range of housing initiatives and projects that will support our State’s most vulnerable people.
“In particular, I’m deeply proud this round of funding continues to deliver a number of projects and new social dwellings across regional WA, including the South-West and to our State’s north in Shark Bay.
“The funding will provide a further boost to WA’s social housing stock and demonstrates the strong partnership between the State Government and the community housing sector.
“The SHERP Grants Program is a critical part of our Government’s $2.4 billion investment in social housing and homelessness measures.”
| Organisation | Number of projects | Number of dwellings | Project location/s | Total Grant funding |
| Advance Housing Limited | 1 | 4 | Dalyellup | $866,526 |
| Agencies for South-West Accommodation | 1 | 1 | Bunbury | $5,000,000 |
| Autism Association | 3 | 4 | Ellenbrook, Spearwood | $1,979,589 |
| Bethanie Housing | 2 | 82 | Dalyellup, Busselton | $10,000,000 |
| Bunbury Housing Association | 2 | 4 | Dalyellup, Donnybrook | $809,155 |
| Co-operation Housing | 1 | 8 | Witchcliffe | $2,907,486 |
| Community Housing Limited | 4 | 20 | Caversham, Hamilton Hill, Hilbert, Mount Tarcoola | $8,984,393 |
| Shire of Perenjori | 1 | 2 | Perenjori | $878,702 |
| Shire of Shark Bay | 1 | 12 | Shark Bay | $4,118,200 |
| St Patricks Community Support Centre | 1 | 8 | Orelia | $1,648,620 |
| Stellar Living Limited | 1 | 12 | Byford | $2,055,378 |
| UnitingCare West | 1 | 1 | Spearwood | $313,500 |
| Total | 19 | 158 | $39,561,549 |
