Urgent Repairs Needed for Majority of Kimberley Public Housing Tenants

Almost seven in 10 public housing tenants in Western Australia's far north are waiting on urgent repairs to their properties, a report by local advocates has found.

The Kimberley Community Legal Service's (KCLS) Broken by Design report surveyed 166 public housing tenants across 22 communities in Western Australia's Kimberley and found the system was badly failing tenants.

Some houses were riddled with a myriad of issues, from structural damage and electrical faults, to plumbing problems, mould and pest infestations. More than 95 per cent of those surveyed did not consider their homes to be safe or in good condition.

KCLS outlined key recommendations to improve the system, saying changes must be two-pronged, involving immediate maintenance and longer-term investment.

The report found that tenants, who are not permitted to organise their own repairs, are required to have essential repairs undertaken by a "qualified environmental health representative". To report a maintenance issue, tenants contact Housing and Works through a call centre or with a local housing officer.

A licensed Kimberley builder, not named in the report for employment security, detailed chronic issues plaguing the remote homes.

"[The] entire shower floor was literally collapsing and falling away, and as soon as I ran the shower the water was pouring out underneath the slab," he said.

"In four years of doing this work in the Kimberley, I've seen standards of repair that simply wouldn't be accepted anywhere else in the building industry."

Over half of Kimberley renters are living in social housing, according to the report, with many tenants describing their homes as unsafe and unreliable and sometimes unliveable.

KCLS chief executive Matt Panayi said while this sounded simple on paper, the process was fragmented and difficult in remote communities.

"The current model is expensive and dysfunctional, that's reflected in the title of our report: Broken by Design," he said.

"All the evidence points to it being systemic problems that arises from how the model itself operates rather than small independent points where things are going wrong."

Another challenge, according to Mr Panayi, was completed maintenance often failed to address the underlying issue, resulting in further delays and additional costs.

The report said 85 per cent of maintenance was reactive, despite evidence suggesting "planned maintenance was more effective and cost-efficient". It said about $250 million had been spent on travel and overhead costs associated with housing maintenance since 2019.

Public housing in the region has been shaped by decades of initial underinvestment, according to Mr Panayi.

"Aboriginal leaders in remote communities have long linked social disruption and health issues with poor public housing and bad conditions," he said.

"The government needs to be accountable for their responsibilities to provide safe and habitable housing for tenants."

KCLS suggested locally delivered maintenance, a preventative repair structure, accountability and quality assurance in the form of increased inspections.

Long-term, the community legal service wants enforceable minimum housing standards, investment in housing officers and ways to address overcrowding.

The WA government is reviewing housing maintenance arrangements, including the current model of awarding long-term contracts for maintenance and repairs.