Hundreds of Western Australians will benefit from more safe and secure housing under the McGowan Government's $92.8 million community housing grants program.
The grants will be delivered under the Social Housing Economic Recovery Package (SHERP) and include $46.5 million for refurbishments of community housing and supported accommodation dwellings, along with $33 million to construct new community housing dwellings.
An additional $13.3 million has been allocated for housing maintenance works in remote Aboriginal communities.
The grants application process opens on September 1, 2021.
Refurbishment grants will be open to community housing organisations with an existing service agreement with the Department of Communities, as well as local government authorities.
Grants for refurbishments will be awarded from December 2021 with all projects requiring completion by December 2024.
Construction grants will be open to registered community housing organisations and local government authorities. Grants will be awarded to successful applicants from January 2022 with projects requiring completion by December 2024.
The remote Aboriginal community maintenance grants will only be made available to remote Aboriginal communities. Grants will be awarded from December 2021 with housing maintenance works to be completed by December 2022.
The grants program is part of the overall $319 million Social Housing Economic Recovery Package, which is one of many State Government initiatives currently underway to increase the number of social housing dwellings in WA and ensure the State's ageing social housing stock remains in the system for many years to come.
For more information about the grants, visit https://www.communities.wa.gov.au/SHERPgrants
As stated by Housing Minister John Carey:
"The McGowan Government is investing around $1 billion through a number of programs to upgrade and expand public and affordable housing and other homeless initiatives across WA.
"This $92.8 million Social Housing Economic Recovery Package Grants Program is a critical part of that investment.
"Alongside the State Government, community housing organisations are an important provider of safe and secure housing to vulnerable Western Australians and this $93 million will make sure that work can be expanded in the future.
"The funding will deliver both new social housing and targeted refurbishment and maintenance works on ageing housing assets, to ensure they remain part of the State's stock of social housing for many years to come.
"More than $13 million will also be allocated to delivering important housing maintenance works in remote Aboriginal communities.
"The program will grow the capability and capacity in the community housing sector and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, all of which have a fantastic opportunity to be innovative with their grant applications and demonstrate value for money.
"The funding has been allocated through the $319 million Social Housing Economic Recovery Package which will create jobs, strengthen economic activity and support small businesses during the COVID-19 recovery phase.
"Importantly, these new grants will increase the availability of social housing, create more fit-for-purpose social housing and improve the conditions of properties for tenants."
