MORE than 2600 people are on the waiting list for Homeswest accommodation in the South West.
Shadow Housing Minister Peter Tinley said the housing affordability crisis would exacerbate the waiting times.
He said the Barnett government had reduced the housing budget by $105 million despite huge wait lists in the South West.
"People in the South West who could once afford private rentals or their own home were now being forced to turn to public housing as an alternative and clearly the Barnett government is not doing enough to make the homes available," Mr Tinley said.
Mr Tinley said as Western Australians struggled with the state's housing affordability crisis, figures tabled in parliament revealed more than 50,000 Western Australians were on the waiting list as at April 30.
"These figures have a human element," he said.
"They represent aged pensioners, people with disabilities, single parents and working families.
"Figures tabled in parliament in August 2011 revealed the average wait time for applicants in the South West region was 883 days and 173 days for those on the priority list.
Given the huge number of Western Australians who can't afford skyrocketing rent costs or to own their own home, it would make sense to invest more, not less funding in the housing budget."
Mr Tinley said governments should be doing more, not less to assist Western Australians to own or rent their own homes.