Western Australia’s government announces a major shake-up of the state’s social housing waitlist, described by multiple outlets as the biggest reform since the waitlist was established under a new system to rank applicants. The plan is focused on reordering how people are assessed and prioritised, with particular attention on applicants in urgent need. ABC reports that families fleeing domestic violence and people experiencing homelessness are expected to be prioritised so they can move ahead of others on the queue. The West Australian adds that more than 20,000 people are on the wait list and that the reform will target “urgent” cases. The government’s announcement frames the change as the first reform in more than 70 years, indicating that the existing approach has been largely unchanged for decades. The articles describe the reform as a policy shift rather than the creation of additional housing in itself, aiming to adjust eligibility and ordering so the most urgent situations receive earlier consideration for access to social housing.