South Perth Albert Apartments

Built in 1967, the apartment complex at 8 Albert Street, South Perth dates from the point when South Perth’s riverfront suburbs stopped growing outward and started being divided upward. The site occupies a 1,062m² block and contains 11 units, all of which remain under the same ownership of the Housing Commission today.

 

Before redevelopment, the large block was occupied by a single house positioned toward the centre front of the site, with a shed directly behind it. By the time the apartments were built, much of the surrounding area had already been subdivided into smaller lots. Roughly a third of nearby properties had been split into three lots of a comparable size, while the remaining two-thirds were generally divided into two lots.

 

The apartments themselves were typical of the era. There was no built-in air-conditioning or ceiling fans, something that was standard for buildings constructed in the late 1960s. Cooling relied instead on natural ventilation, with afternoon and evening breezes offering some relief, particularly given the property’s proximity to the river. Only one apartment in the complex, a two-bedroom unit on the eastern side of the top floor, was provided with a balcony. All remaining units were single-bedroom and more basic in layout.

 

The property was first sold on 24 December 1985, when it was purchased by the Housing Commission, later operating as Homeswest. It hasn’t changed ownership since. At the time of purchase, the complex was fully tenanted. Residents reportedly included elderly tenants, single mothers and one Aboriginal family, reflecting the diverse but often vulnerable demographic that occupied lower-cost inner-suburban housing at the time, a pattern that has changed little since.

 

In the twelve months leading up to May 1988, Homeswest had purchased 214 individual units across Western Australia, with 14 of those located within the South Perth electorate. The acquisition of 8 Albert Street (containing 11 units) occurred during this program of buying existing apartment stock rather than constructing new public housing.

 

The purchase price of the property, however, became contentious. Records showed a figure of $209,000, yet during questioning in the Legislative Council, the amount paid was stated as $480,000. The discrepancy drew attention to valuation methods and raised questions about transparency in government property acquisitions.

 

There was also confusion surrounding how existing tenants were treated. Initially, it was suggested that tenants would be allowed to remain until the end of their leases before Homeswest tenants moved in. This was later contradicted. In September 1988, it was stated in the Legislative Assembly that all tenants had been issued eviction notices, with assurances that those who qualified for public housing would be offered alternative accommodation.

 

One tenant’s experience illustrates how fraught the process could be. After receiving his eviction notice, one man vacated his apartment within eight days. Homeswest reportedly did not inspect the unit at the time of purchase, nor before he left. Three months later, he received a letter claiming $84 for maintenance allegedly beyond fair wear and tear, including issues such as dirty windows, bathroom, floors and cupboards. Because he had initially paid a $47 deposit, he was required to pay the remaining $36.90 within 14 days.

 

All of this unfolded during a period of mounting housing stress across Western Australia. By the late 1980s, soaring property prices were increasingly locking young people out of home ownership. It was reported at the time that tens of thousands of people aged between 18 and 25 felt they would never be able to buy a home. In the twelve months leading to September 1988, the median house price in Western Australia had risen by $16,000, adding to public concern over whether housing policy was keeping pace with demand.

 

The apartment complex continued to be maintained in subsequent decades. The buildings were re-roofed in mid-2006, suggesting ongoing investment in the structure. By late 2018, however, the apartments were vacated and work appeared to have begun on stripping the units for major internal renovations, although no development application or supporting information has been found to substantiate this.

 

By the late 1980s, housing affordability had reached a point where many young people believed they would never own a home, as prices rose sharply amid economic uncertainty brought on by a financial downturn linked to the collapse of the banking system.

 

That sense of inevitability feels familiar today. Contemporary debates often point to high immigration levels as a contributing factor, particularly where population growth is used to address skills and trades shortages in the construction sector. A cycle that, in turn, places further pressure on housing supply.

 

Vacant housing stock remains a persistent and largely unacknowledged problem. While attention is often focused on public housing, government bodies such as the Commissioner for Main Roads and the Western Australian Planning Commission, among others, also hold significant numbers of vacant or effectively abandoned properties, rivalling those of the State Housing Commission. This apartment complex with 11 units is one such example: housing that could accommodate 11 people, yet has remained vacant and dormant for its eighth consecutive year.