State Budget delivers on election commitments but more is needed
There were few surprises for housing in the 2025-26 State Budget, with funding allocated for previously announced election promises, including stamp duty concessions for first homebuyers, loans for modular housing and shared equity loans.
REIWA has previously welcomed the increase to the thresholds for the first homeowner rate of duty but we would like to see the thresholds pegged to REIWA's median and lower quartile prices to ensure they better reflect market conditions and ensure the concessions are available to as many first homebuyers as possible.
Similarly, we would like to see the threshold for the $2000 Home Buyers Assistance Account grant for first homebuyers increased and linked to REIWA's annual median.
With housing supply continuing to be a key issue for Western Australia, the budget also provided a range of support for construction. This included allocating the first $101 million of the $400 Housing Enabling Infrastructure Fund to fund 21 projects, such as new wastewater plants and substations, to make the release of about 33,000 new residential housing lots viable.
While we welcome initiatives making more land available, there are many other factors impacting the timely delivery of housing. Currently, this includes delays to obtaining land titles, which impacts the ability to start construction on new homes, as well as energisation, which significantly delays the handover of completed homes to their new owners. These issues need funding as well.
The budget allocated $104 million to double the Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH) construction program, with the aim of delivering over 100 new homes in the regions over 2026-27 to 2028-29.
The current shortage of GROH has seen government departments look to the private rental market to house staff and this has placed an additional burden on regional rental markets which are already severely challenged. We welcome the investment in GROH but note these homes are needed now. One potential solution is for the State Government to invest in modular housing itself to provide a solution for the regions more quickly.
The budget allocated $246 million for 548 additional social and affordable homes. Our members have seen first-hand the toll the rental crisis has taken on the more vulnerable in our society and REIWA's 2025 State Election platform called for ongoing investment in social housing.
We have welcomed the government's delivery of more social housing in the past couple of years and their continued investment, but we support the call from organisations like Shelter WA and Western Australian Council of Social Service for a greater commitment.
You can read REIWA's full State Budget response on reiwa.com.
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