The WA government is calling for owners who are interested to sell their properties, which will be used to boost the supply of social housing and address homelessness in the state.

The state government has recently unveiled a record $875m investment to increase the social housing stock across Western Australia.

The investment includes the establishment of a $750m Social Housing Investment Fund, with $228 million set aside for short-term projects to increase social housing and $522 million to deliver new social homes from 2022 to 2023.

Under the investment program, the state's Department of Communities will be looking for property owners who may be interested in selling their properties to the state.

Housing Minister John Carey said the investment is a practical approach to deliver more social housing to Western Australia.

"We are investing in programs such as the repurposing of affordable homes to social, spot purchasing properties, and investing in faster and alternative construction methods such as modular homes," Mr Carey said.

"We need an immediate boost to social housing, but we also need to acknowledge that in the current market, constructing homes will take some time.”

This recent investment represents the single largest one-off funding injection for social housing in the history of WA.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said the state has laid out more than $2.1bn to fund around 3,300 social houses.

"The government is using its strong budget surplus to deliver record funding to expand and modernise social housing in Western Australia to support the vulnerable," Mr McGowan said.

"Our total investment will significantly improve the quality and accessibility of social housing for vulnerable Western Australians."

This additional investment that will be utilised over the next four years includes:

  • $168.8m for the conversion of around 500 affordable housing properties
  • $40m for a program of spot purchasing in both metropolitan and regional areas for social housing
  • $6m for the retention and refurbishment of approximately 120 existing properties
  • $12.8m to carry out building assessments on the more than 10,000 ageing public housing and Government Regional Officer Housing assets
  • $5.5m to assist with planning and business case development for future social housing development on state government-owned land
  • $522m to deliver new social homes from 2022 to 2023
  • Development of two common ground facilities which is underway

Those interested to sell their properties to the state are encouraged to reach out to propertysales@communities.wa.gov.au.