Page 3580 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 22 November 2022
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At the conclusion of its fourth year of operation, I am glad to share with you some of the highlights from this year’s report card. In working towards reducing homelessness, the ACT government is working with the ACT specialist homelessness sector, through an unprecedented co-design process. A series of workshops have been held which will help shape the framework model and help to identify what is needed to create further pathways out of crisis accommodation. Minister Vassarotti and I have been working closely with the sector throughout this process.
As we continue to address gaps in our homelessness services system, the government has extended funding from the COVID-19 homelessness services initiatives. In addition to the Housing First program, Axial Housing, these include MacKillop House for women, extended hours of the Early Morning Centre, the OneLink accommodation and support fund, and Ainslie Lodge, previously the Winter Lodge, which has supported a total of 192 men since its opening. The second Common Ground site in Dickson is now complete. I recently attended the opening with tenants, and saw the beautiful new homes and community being built there. Building on Common Ground Gungahlin, it provides residents with ongoing support to sustain tenancies and community connections with 40 social and affordable homes for families and children in need of housing and supports.
To increase social housing assistance, the Growing and Renewing Public Housing program is continuing, with 219 dwelling constructed, 93 dwellings purchased, and 749 dwellings in the pipeline. This speaks to the ACT government’s determination to provide more homes for people who need them, and is working towards the ACT government’s commitment to grow public housing by 400 homes and renew a further 1,000. The program also aligns with the strategy’s objective of delivering the right mix of homes across Canberra for those in need, regardless of their circumstances or abilities.
Housing ACT’s dedicated tenant relocation team continues to work closely with affected tenants to make sure that they are fully supported and relocated to replacement properties that meet their needs and are more accessible, disability friendly, low maintenance and energy efficient. This has seen 735 property offers made to tenants who are part of the program, with approximately 349 households relocating between July 2019 and June 2022. This has allowed for tenants to be relocated to properties that better suit their needs.
More accessible public housing properties are also being delivered, with support to the broadest range of tenants and those ageing in place. Ninety-one per cent of properties delivered since the commencement of the program conform with class C or gold adaptability standards. Class C or gold adaptability standards provides design features such as wider circulation spaces to provide suitable homes for people of different ages and abilities—for example, a person with a disability or an older person with mobility restrictions.
I would like to share a brief story about Greta and Frank, who lived in their public housing home for 53 years. As they grew older their home became less and less suited to their needs. Despite the happy memories made during more than half a century of living in one house, they agreed that it was time to relocate. Greta is a music teacher and was keen to make sure that the new place still had room for her music studio. She reflected on her dealings with the tenant relocation team:
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