Hon John Carey BA MLA

Minister for Housing; Lands; Homelessness; Local Government

The first social homes to be delivered under the McGowan Government's Modular Build Program are on their way to the Pilbara, where they will provide additional social housing in the region.

The four homes were recently completed on site in Perth and have been delivered to Tom Price, where they will undergo completion, including plumbing and electrical works.

A further five modular social homes are under construction for delivery to South Hedland in the coming months.

A total of 36 new homes have been contracted through the Modular Build Program, with properties allocated to regional centres in the Pilbara, Great Southern, Goldfields-Esperance, South-West, Wheatbelt and Mid-West.

The Modular Build Program was established by the Housing Minister as a faster alternative to deliver social housing in the current heated construction market.

Modular construction involves high-quality housing built off-site in a factory before being transported to a location.

A total of 200 social homes are anticipated to be delivered through the Modular Build Program over a two year period, including 150 for regional Western Australia.

The program was made possible by the McGowan Government's $875 million allocation towards social housing in the 2021-22 State Budget, the largest one-off investment ever made by a WA State Government.

The Modular Build Program is among a number of new investment programs being delivered by the McGowan Government to boost social housing as fast as possible, including a new spot purchasing program and rapid timber-frame build program.

The State Government is investing around $2.4 billion on social housing, which will include the delivery of around 3,300 new homes.

Comments attributed to Housing Minister John Carey:

"There is no doubt we face a heated construction market, which is why I established the Modular Build Program as an alternative way to get new social housing delivered as fast as possible.

"The fact that within around six months of these contracts being awarded, Tom Price will see four new homes delivered to site is a fantastic outcome.

"Had these homes been built on site via traditional construction methods, we expect these homes would still be a long way from delivery.

"Modular construction offers many advantages, including less risk of weather delays and works able to be carried out on site simultaneously with the factory build. The companies that deliver these homes have all the necessary trades in-house, so they have the capacity to deliver faster than traditional builds in the current market.

"Since becoming Housing Minister, I have been committed to reforming our housing delivery and investing in a range of measures, including modular, spot purchasing and rapid timber-frame construction, to get new social housing delivered in our heated construction market.

"We need to find solutions during challenging times, and that is exactly what we are doing by reforming how social housing is delivered and diversifying our investments to ensure we maximise our opportunities to get housing out as fast as possible."

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