Accord West chief executive officer Neil Hamilton has commended the work of the state and federal governments in maintaining their focus on affordable housing in the region.

There are currently 656 people on the housing list in Greater Bunbury, down from 823 in 2010 and 700 in 2009.

The Department of Housing has built or purchased 258 homes for social housing in the last two financial years.

Since June there has also been a further four homes built with another 53 currently under construction or pending settlement.

Mr Hamilton said it was fantastic that the need was being catered for.

“There have been a positive number of federal and state initiatives which have brought more affordable housing online,” he said.

“There are new projects funded each year and there has been significant attention paid to clients in this region.”

While the number of people on waiting lists has dropped there has been a significant rise of the average wait time for a home.

Applicants are now waiting 128 weeks – a significant rise from the 71 weeks last year.

Department of Housing general manager of service delivery Steve Parry said the department continued to strive to meet the housing needs of all people at the earliest time.

“Factors that influence the time an applicant may wait include the region in which the applicant is seeking accommodation, the turnover of tenants in the area and the type of housing sought,” he said.

Mr Hamilton said supposed high priority clients should be treated as priorities.

“While we have see a drop we would like to see the list further reduced,” he said.

“We know there can only be so many houses brought onto the market at one time.

“But there is certainly pressure from the state and federal governments to keep affordable housing a priority.”

Mr Hamilton said it was all about providing security to those in need.

“The most important thing is to provide a stable and safe home environment,” he said.

“This brings back dignity and control into people’s lives.”