Page 1347 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 5 April 2005
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housing have as much right to a good quality of life as do people living in homes that they own.
As a consequence, it is incumbent upon the ACT government, as landlord, to manage matters such as social behaviour, debt management processes, asset management and adherence to tenancy agreements. It is important that these matters are properly managed and effectively managed to ensure an appropriate quality of life for all public housing tenants.
Our public housing tenants deserve the best possible residential environment, as indeed do all members of our community. We all deserve a quality of life that is free from crime and violence, including illegal activities that are associated with drugs, in and around our homes. These people deserve the opportunity to enjoy a residential neighbourhood that is peaceful, quiet and refreshing, as do people who live in homes that they own.
Mr Speaker, the overall objective behind raising this matter today is to emphasise the importance of providing the tenants of Housing ACT with the best possible support involving the provision of assistance, the provision of advice and the provision of necessary services. We are also intent on highlighting where there are failures across each of these important areas of activity.
As a specific example, I would like to spend a few moments talking about how we deal with people with mental health issues who are tenants of ACT Housing. People with mental health issues are of concern to the broader community, but increasingly they are of more concern within the public housing context. The types of issues that we face increasingly in this regard are the provision of adequate health and social services as well as support to these people when they are tenants of Housing ACT.
A particular aspect that I wish to highlight today is the location of people with mental health issues in inappropriate accommodation. It is essential that every possible consideration be given when seeking to accommodate such people so that the environment in which they are located is best suited to their situation. Clearly, these people have a much higher level of need than do many other citizens. It is also important that the best response is provided to these needs as we seek to deal with the particular mental health issues that are being experienced while we integrate these people into the community, all the time ensuring that they do not have a negative impact on their neighbours and, indeed, that their neighbours do not have a negative impact on them.
Mr Speaker, it appears reasonable to suggest that Housing ACT should have a policy for dealing with people who have a higher level of need; yet, as far as we are aware, there is no specific expertise or unit within the department that considers individual instances where effective communication is required with the appropriate units within mental health and other areas of government. We can envisage situations where a person with mental health issues who has not been housed in appropriate accommodation will experience greater difficulty in making a positive contribution to their community. Likewise, in such awkward situations, there would be heightened anxiety and concern among neighbours about how to respond to such people, especially if they are not aware of what is involved in dealing with people who require a higher level of care.
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