House of Assembly Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1) 53 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Answers to Questions Housing SA Housing SA In reply to Ms SANDERSON House of Assembly Adelaide Housing SA In reply to Ms SANDERSON (Adelaide) (18 June 2014). The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON House of Assembly Ramsay Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion Minister for Social Housing Minister for Multicultural Affairs Minister for Ageing Minister for Youth Minister for Volunteers Housing SA The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers):I have been advised: 1.	As at 31 May 2014, 909 lettable Housing SA properties were vacant. This represents a vacancy rate of 2.1 per cent. 2.	Housing SA has a consistently lower vacancy rate than the state average for all rental dwellings. For comparison, the Real Estate Institute of Australia reports the South Australian state average vacancy rates as 2.6 per cent in the March 2014 quarter, 3.1 per cent for the December 2013 quarter, and 2.9 per cent for the June 2013 quarter. 3.	In November 2013, the Housing SA vacancy rate was 2.1 per cent. In May 2013, the Housing SA vacancy rate was 1.8 per cent. 4.	When properties are vacated, it is important they are adequately prepared for re-letting, which in some cases requires more extensive repairs. In contrast to the private sector, public housing customers with complex needs also require support packages to be negotiated prior to allocation to ensure the sustainability of the tenancies and reduce overall turnover. These factors can place an upwards pressure on vacancy rates, often not experienced in the private sector. Housing SA is investigating ways to improve its performance in managing vacant properties.