WA Liberal Senator raises concerns 75,000 expected migrants will put pressure on growing housing crisis

More than 75,000 migrants are set to arrive in WA between the borders reopening and the middle of next year, new figures show. WA Liberal Senator Dean Smith is raising concerns about where these thousands of people will live and what impact they will have on the State’s acute rental crisis. It comes as Australia’s migration intake is forecast to hit its highest level on record at 400,000 this financial year due to a faster-than-expected return of international students and working holidaymakers. Another 315,000 immigrants are due to land on the nation’s shores in 2023-24. Over those two years, 75,075 migrants will make WA home. “Migration has played a key role in the development of Australia for many years and I positively support this policy. However, it needs to be properly managed and planned so it works for the full benefit of our nation,” Senator Smith told The West Australian. “This planning involves ensuring that the Federal Government now releases a plan as to how they will provide accommodation for these new migrants, so we do not see the increase result in an exacerbation of the homelessness crisis in WA.” National Cabinet last week discussed the rise in migration, which resulted from the reopening of Australia’s borders in 2021 after a large portion of the nation’s migrants fled the country during the pandemic to return to their homelands. The Albanese Government predicted in the October Budget last year that 235,000 immigrants would come to Australia during this financial year. International students will make up about 50 per cent of immigrants in Australia this year. Senator Smith said the higher-than-predicted arrivals of overseas migrants would have a “major negative impact” on the already over-stressed rental market in the State and for low-income earners who rent. “With the rental vacancy rate in Perth and major WA regional centres below 1 per cent, this sudden increase in migration will result in further rental inflation at a time when lower-income families cannot afford to rent a home due to the chronic lack of supply of rental properties,” he said. “For example, the median weekly rent in Perth for a house has surged by $70 to $550, which is largely unaffordable for most people now on a low income.” Anglicare Australia’s annual rental affordability snapshot was released last week and showed 0 per cent of properties were affordable for a single person on JobSeeker in WA. It also revealed only 1 per cent of available properties were affordable for West Australians on other income support payments, just 2912 private rentals were available in the State, and available rentals dropped by 16 per cent compared to last year. WA Shadow Housing Minister Steve Martin said the WA economy desperately needed workers, but there was no housing available. “The State and Federal governments have failed to deliver on housing and now we face a perfect storm of record-low rental vacancies, rising rents and rising interest rates,” he said. “It’s very tough in the housing market and extra migration, although desperately needed, will only make it worse. The WA building sector is struggling with completing home builds and some builders are not accepting new work.”