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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Thursday, 26 August 2004) . . Page.. 4465 ..

As for rebated renters, the suitability of other housing options for market renters is limited, with equivalent stock in the private rental market currently not being available due to Canberra having the highest median rents amongst capital cities. There is some scope for market renters to be amongst the target groups to receive assistance for first home buyers under the enhanced stamp duty concession schemes, and targeted land releases announced in the 2004-05 Budget.

Housing ACT, like other public housing authorities, uses rental income from market renters as an important component to help finance services it provides. This rental stream is decreasing, as the number of market renters decreases, and increased targeting of assistance by Housing ACT means that for the first time rental rebates are now larger than rent received. A report by Jon Hall and Mike Berry of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute confirms that as a long term strategy, targeting of assistance with decreasing funding from both the CSHA and from rental incomes is not sustainable, and suggests that an increasing proportion of tenants with greater household income growth potential should be allocated housing than at present.

The Review has concluded that market renters play an important role in the viability and sustainability of Housing ACT, both as an income source to help pay for services the organisation provides, and as an important contributor to the broader role of public housing being more representative of the community, and helping to sustain tenancies. It is recommended that a study be conducted to assess appropriate strategies to help strengthen this viability in the long term.

I have agreed to the recommendations of the Report, and asked the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services to implement them.

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