Page 1856 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 1 May 1991
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cannot go out into the private market. It also provides more funds to purchase and construct more homes for those in need, particularly smaller and ageing households, and it allows for a more effective stock management strategy.
Mr Speaker, in the first four weeks of operation of the reintroduction of the sales program, the Housing Trust received 80 applications from tenants wishing to buy their own homes. We are about to enter the market to purchase replacement houses with the funds obtained from sales, and this will assist in shortening the waiting list. In allowing public tenants to purchase their homes, the Alliance Government has had the courage to reintroduce a program to the obvious advantage of clients and the community alike, while the Opposition is still chasing phantoms to find fault with these initiatives.
The Alliance Government has given a high priority to expanding the rental housing stock. The Housing Trust achievements in constructions of new dwellings have been better than those planned in the 1990-91 program. The approval program included 91 new dwellings, and the forward design for a further project, within the available funds of $36.882m. The trust will commit projects yielding 124 new dwellings. These comprise 42 family homes or townhouses, 58 aged persons units, one special purpose house and 22 flats. Further, many of these dwellings will result from redevelopment, infill, and joint venture projects involving client and community consultation, which will ensure that the homes that are built meet the community needs.
Mr Speaker, the trust's reallocations of tenants from Melba Flats will be close to being completed this financial year. All but 50 of the 350 sitting tenants have been rehoused. This will have been done in half the programmed time scale, through a creative combination of all the mechanisms available to the trust. The reallocation of Melba residents has been achieved without calling on borrowed funds. The trust has been using existing stock, also spot purchases and the construction of 78 new dwellings, in addition to the construction program within the current financial year, to complete this program.
Mr Speaker, the trust continues to meet the needs of most disadvantaged groups, including women. There are many houses around the ACT which are used as women's refuges, and there are facilities for community groups that provide services to women and families, like the O'Connor Family Centre. Also, the trust is, at the moment, negotiating a purpose-built house for another women's refuge. Many of the youth refuges around the ACT are also using government housing. The trust has a commitment to accommodation for people with disabilities, and spot purchased some houses last year for three young people. It also has purpose-built houses in North Lyneham for people with disabilities, and earlier this year allocated a house in Ainslie to two young people with severe behaviour problems.
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