Social housing to cement homeownership dreams for many

Social housing is an important part of our community, providing quality accommodation for people who need it. But it can also be the first step for many Western Australians entering the first homebuyers’ market.

In the recent State Budget, the McGowan Government announced it would be investing an additional $875 million towards social housing in the next financial year, taking overall funding for the coming four years to $2.1 billion.

One of the key features of the government’s strategy is a $522 million special purpose account set aside to deliver social housing projects from 2023.

In real terms, this will translate to around 3300 new social housing properties in the coming four years.

This is important because, along with our social commitment to provide housing to those in need, the funding considers measures to increase housing stock as fast as possible to provide quality social housing for vulnerable Western Australians.

Getting into the housing market can also be very difficult for those wanting to buy, and in WA we are lucky to have our own very successful scheme that has been in operation for 32 years, Keystart.

Keystart offers a pathway for those people who do not require social housing yet still face a barrier to affordable homeownership. Keystart’s low-deposit home loan offers lower entry costs to help more people get into their own home sooner.

The Keystart program also supports regional Western Australians with its Rural Home Loan, which provides housing finance options tailored to meet the needs of farmers and rural and regional business owners.

Residential building is currently in a boom phase, but this long-term investment into social housing will guarantee the building industry a pipeline of works into the future, when the heat of the market, driven in part by state and federal stimulus packages, starts to cool down.

Homeownership is still an aspiration for many people, and having options for this is important to helping people achieve their dreams, including inter-generational living connectivity for family and loved ones, and the benefits this brings to WA communities and their overall economic health. We are very fortunate in WA to have such affordable housing options, and our industry is an integral part of ensuring the successful ongoing delivery of this.

Master Builders is proud to support Keystart and the State Government to assist affordable homeownership and small business in WA.

We help you choose the builder that will best meet your needs and you can rest assured, if they are a Master Builder, you are in good hands.

Q&A with MBA Technical Building Services Manager Jason Robertson

The Question

My house project is still going through an approval process by my council. I’ve been advised it needs building and planning approval, and a friend said this can take months. Is this correct?

The Answer

It’s a very good question and there are a lot of ifs, buts and maybes when it comes to approvals for your house project.

The building approval (or building permit as it’s known formally) process is administered by the permit authority (most often a local council), and there are several options available with differing timeframes. As a generalisation, a building application can be processed within 10 business days (or quicker) in certain circumstances.

What does happen often, however, is other necessary approvals impact on the timeframes for the project to be assessed and formal approval to start commencing the actual works onsite.

Other approvals that may apply to proposed building work include planning, health and sometimes other approvals required by the local government under other written laws.

In some instances, a formal planning approval that’s not overly complex can take 60 calendar days to determine, where no consultation (with other property owners) is required, and 90 calendar days if any consultation/referral is required.

The State Government has embarked on an Action Plan to have significant planning reforms undertaken (some have already been put in place) which will see benefit for homeowners and industry alike.

Master Builders itself has repeatedly called for a fast-track system in planning to be developed to align processing times far better between planning and building departments.

For advice on approval requirements for a specific building project, speak with the experts and consider contacting the relevant permit authority.

Good luck with the project!

CONTACT Master Builders WA, 9476 9800, www.mbawa.com