In my latest column for Business News, I look at the lag by the WA government in facilitating the rollout of Specialist Disability Accommodation(SDA) in WA.
Social Housing and Housing Affordability continue to be a significant challenge for the Western Australian government. The federally funded SDA program is a game changer here with its potential to relieve pressure on social housing stock by providing alternate, fit-for purpose homes for people with disability.
There is a problem though.
The WA government’s ownership of (no longer fit for purpose) existing disability housing allows it to influence market demand and therefore control the speed and efficiency of how the SDA market will develop in WA.
Two years in and developers, institutional capital and NDIS providers still have no visibility as to the government’s intentions which means they are being asked to plan and make decisions in the dark.
We need to see some stewardship and direction from the State Government on this matter. The private and not-for-profit sector stand ready and waiting. The prize is more social housing and, critically, the opportunity for the NDIS to truly deliver on its mission.
You can find out more on this in link below. Just head to page 63. (Please note that this is behind a paywall and requires a Business News subscription to read in full).