WA woman arrested for allegedly bumping her boyfriend up the social housing list

A 55-year-old Clarkson woman has been arrested and appeared in court on Wednesday after police investigated a public housing recipient who significantly jumped the queue for a property.

WA Police allege that Nadine Marie Smith, 55, was working in a public office role in Mirrabooka when she created a housing offer for a social housing applicant she had entered an “intimate relationship” with.

The applicant then bypassed “a significant number” of applicants on the wait list, police allege.

Smith was charged with one count of public officer acts corruptly in the performance/discharge of functions and appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday, where her bail was renewed.

Detective Superintendent Peter Foley, Financial and Cyber Crime Division, said the alleged conduct represented a serious breach of trust and undermined the fair administration of public resources.

“People who abuse the authority of their position, including those trusted to fairly and equitably manage housing resources, create an unfair disadvantage for the wider WA community,” he said.

“Applicants on the social housing waiting lists can wait up to five years.

“This includes vulnerable people with high-priority needs, such as those experiencing homelessness or domestic violence.

“WA Police take these matters very seriously, and the financial crime squad will ensure anyone who corruptly performs their duties is brought to justice and placed before the courts.”

The current wait list for public housing stands at 23,237 applicants. More than 8000 of those are high priority.

Average wait times at December 2025 were 166 weeks, and a whopping 100 weeks for the priority list.

Smith was sacked after her alleged offending was uncovered by the Department of Housing.

A spokesperson for the department said they escalated the matter to WA Police and the Corruption and Crime Commission when “integrity controls first identified this breach”.

“DHW prioritises matters of integrity and conduct and the relevant policies and practices are embedded throughout the department, alongside ongoing education and training,” they said.

“DHW is unable to comment further as the matter is now before the courts.”