Abstract: In July 2006, Paul Omodei, commissioned the Taskforce to inquire into the extent, impact and causes of the decline in housing affordability in Western Australia and to recommend policies to address the decline. The Taskforce released its Preliminary or Interim Report in January 2007. The Interim Report assembled the available evidence to diagnose the extent and causes of the problem. The general conclusion of the Interim Report was that the State faces a serious and growing crisis in housing affordability in the home purchase and rental markets, and that this is imposing huge burdens on WA’s economy and its social fabric. The Report found that although unexpectedly large increases in demand combined with labour and material shortages contributed to the decline in housing affordability, the main cause was government failure of a systemic nature and on a pervasive scale.
Notes: The Western Australian Housing Affordability Taskforce was established by Opposition Leader Paul Omodei on 28 August 2006, to undertake a review of the housing market in Western Australia.