The McGowan Government has allocated $816,000 to refurbish and transfer six vacant Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH) units in Collie to social housing.
The refurbished units will be allocated to vulnerable Western Australians on the public housing waitlist.
As part of a reform agenda for the delivery of housing, the Housing Minister requested the Department of Communities undertake a review of all long-term vacant GROH properties to ensure Government housing stock is being fully utilised.
Work on the six two-bedroom, one-bathroom units has begun and will be completed in mid-2022.
The refurbished units will help meet the social housing demand for couples and small families in the area.
Property and facilities maintenance company Workzone was awarded a $523,000 contract to undertake internal refurbishment and South-West company PSA Construction awarded a $293,000 contract for external works, including car park repairs.
The Ogden Street units were built in 1982 for the GROH program which provides government workers, including teachers and police, with much needed accommodation in regional areas.
The Government is investing $2.1 billion into social housing over the next four years, including a record investment of $875 million announced as part of the 2021-22 State Budget.
An additional $200 million will be invested in GROH properties across the State.
As stated by Housing Minister John Carey:
“I have been clear that we need to reform the way we deliver housing and in the current environment, one of the ways we are doing that is getting as much vacant stock back online as fast as possible.
“That is why I requested the Department undertake a review into vacant Government-owned housing, to ensure all homes are being fully utilised.
“These GROH units will get a new lease of life and provide accommodation for six vulnerable families in the Collie area.
“This is further evidence of our determination to provide social housing to where it is needed most across Western Australia.”
As stated by Collie-Preston MLA Jodie Hanns:
“This is a fantastic outcome for the people of Collie, who have long campaigned for these vacant properties to be given a new lease of life, particularly during the current housing squeeze.
“My focus now is to get these works completed as soon as possible so the homes can be put to good use.”
