Karratha set for housing scheme trial

The State Government will trial their Opening Doors initiative in Karratha next year in response to the region's housing crisis.

Housing Minister Bill Marmion said more than 1000 properties had been sold in Perth and other regional towns through the initiative, with some of these homes sold under the department's shared ownership scheme, where the Government retained up to 30 per cent equity in the property.

The Department of Housing said this week there was an opportunity to trial shared equity arrangements with two properties to be marketed in Karratha.

Housing Department commercial and business operations general manager Paul Whyte said delivering affordable housing in the region will lead to progressive normalisation of the market.

"There are unique challenges for the shared equity initiative in the Pilbara due to the nature of employment and the property market," he said.

"The department anticipates that broader application of the program will be delivered in Hedland, Karratha and other key locations in the region throughout 2014.

"Figures from the Government's Pilbara regional development commission show a consistent decline in rental and purchase prices for housing over recent quarters, as a result of which the department anticipates further opportunities to provide additional affordable housing to the region."

Pilbara Community Legal Service chief executive Nanette Williams said while housing prices may have dropped slightly, home ownership was still out of reach for many low-income earners.

"Anything at all that will help people open doors - bring it on," she said.

"You've got to look at the level of poverty in the area … people aren't coping with paying rent, high power costs, water costs or payment of fuel, for those who are lucky enough to have a car.

"There are people constantly looking for emergency relief because if they pay the rent, they can't pay the power - if they pay the power, they can't pay the rent."