POLITICIANS and government agencies from all parties have agreed cost of living will be a major issue at the next election.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Housing Assistance Unit's David Wilson said rent stresses were showing up even after assistance had been provided.
"Thirty-five per cent of households receiving Commonwealth Rent Assistance are still, after assistance, paying more than 30 per cent of their household incomes on their rent, which is a common measure for housing stress," Mr Wilson said.
Australians for Affordable Housing (AAH) have asked the federal government to increase Commonwealth Rental Assistance by 30 per cent, which would amount to $16-25 extra a week for households.
South West Blackwood-Stirling MLA Terry Redman said he readily acknowledged housing affordability, whether for renters or buyers, was the biggest cost of living issue for most Australians.
"Pressure on the Perth rental market is clearly having a flow-on effect in country areas including the Warren Blackwood region," he said.
"The Liberal-National government's Affordable Housing Strategy released last year is aimed at increasing the affordability of affordable housing in WA and delivering 3500 more social housing dwellings by 2013.
"Increasing the supply of public housing is important but as housing stress is more evident in areas where incomes are low, it's also important to focus on job creation to lift incomes in regional areas.
"This is why a major focus of the Royalties for Regions program is on stimulating regional economies to create more opportunities for both full and part-time employment."
Greens MLA Giz Watson, who will be challenging for a seat in the South West in the coming state election, said housing stress was one of the negative effects of WA's mining boom and had been compounded by the Global Financial Crisis.
"A housing market traditionally supplied a family house on a large block," Ms Watson said.
"One of the reasons for rents rising is the lack of diversity of housing, forcing all types of household to compete for the same houses.
"Young singles are competing with families for the four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes."
Ms Watson said the number of renters was increasing because of the high price of buying a first home."Housing diversity is critical to meeting the need for accommodation," she said.
"The Greens would like to see a better tax system to increase the availability of a diversity of housing supply, including small rentals."
Ms Watson said providing more options for high density living was critical to meeting housing needs and reducing pressures on the environment.
"This increased density in existing towns has to be achieved with community support and good discussion about how to deliver liveable towns," she said.
Collie MLA Mick Murray said housing needs were a main concern of his constituents, including rental house prices. He said there was a demand for more social housing.
"Homeswest and affording housing needs are not being met in Collie," he said.
"At one stage there were 70 family groups waiting for public housing in Collie."
Mr Murray said many private renters who were doing it tough had been forced out of their right to social housing.
"The waiting lists are so long, four years or more, they are taking the affordable housing that low to middle income earners who are not eligible for Homeswest housing would normally rent," he said.
Ms Keenan said what needed to be understood was that rents were too high for all types of homes and bringing them down would go a long way to remedying the renters' crisis and most housing stress issues.
