Homeless advocates fear the reopening of Western Australia's borders will drive more people onto the streets during an expected surge in COVID-19 cases.
The rental vacancy rate for January was just 0.9 per cent in Perth and Mandurah, according to the Real Estate Institute of WA.
The state will reopen its borders from March 3, with the relocation of skilled workers from the eastern states and overseas expected to drive rental costs even higher and vacancies lower.
PeelConnect founder Ron Withnell said Mandurah homeless advocates were already under the pump.
"It's already a struggle trying to find housing for people so I have concerns for when borders open," he said.
"Where are desperate people going to go if all the rents continue to go up and housing availability is reduced even more?
"All the agencies are supporting each other where they can but we're already under the pump and it's going to get worse."
Mandurah and Rockingham homeless advocate Owen Farmer held a similar sentiment.
"When borders open it's going to put a lot of stress on the non-profits," he said.
"It's not only going to put more people on the streets it will put more strain on mental health agencies and hospitals.
"A lot of people on the streets have given up hope of finding a place."
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A St Patrick's spokesperson said the community support centre feared the market constraints would lead to more people couch-surfing and sleeping rough.
"The state government has made increasing social housing stocks a key priority, and has made a significant investment towards this, which is very welcome," they said.
"However, an overheated construction market and lack of workforce capacity has stymied these efforts.
"Opening borders will be important to bringing in the workforce needed to accelerate this important housing construction program - unfortunately, the influx of workers may also squeeze the housing market further, which is why we need to support key social housing projects such as the planned Common Ground in Mandurah."
The spokesperson said there was growing concerns for those sleeping rough when COVID-19 cases surge.
"Levels of vaccination in vulnerable communities, such as those experiencing homelessness, remain relatively low, for which, St Pat's remains extremely concerned," they said.
"Research shows that people facing homelessness are at higher risk of serious illness and potentially death as a result of contracting COVID-19.
"That's why we've made it a high priority to support people rough sleeping to access vaccinations and doing all we can to support them."
"We're reaching kind of a perfect storm of new people needing homes, not enough homes for the entire population, so where are people going to live? There are suburbs that have just got no affordable rentals at all - in particular in regional WA, that's really concerning - so we are acutely worried," Shelter WA chief executive Michelle Mackenzie told AAP.
