Page 3503 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 15 November 2006
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budget. This approach has been informed by the ACT community housing funding review and ensures that funding for community housing provision is consistent and transparent.
It is vitally important that all available resources are used most effectively in funding community housing. Consequently, the revised funding arrangements for community housing will require organisations to be efficient in executing their administrative functions. This may mean that some organisations are required to change the way they operate in order to maximise the funding available so that it provides as many services for tenants as possible, not having a 30 per cent administrative payment when the norm is about six. One of the organisations, which will remain nameless at the moment, kicked off this last year with an administrative costing in its budget of 30 per cent. That is 24 per cent missing at the sharp end of the services. The new funding arrangements for community housing have implemented a consistent benchmark payment for all tenancy management and tenancy support services across the sector regardless of the size of the organisations.
We do not want to stop what we are doing and start again simply because Dr Foskey thinks we should. Ultimately achieving greater efficiencies from organisations will produce better outcomes for their tenants. While it is true that the ACT government is seeking to elicit greater efficiencies from community housing organisations, this should not be misconstrued as a general lack of support for the sector. It is more accurate to view the department’s shift towards greater administrative efficiency in community housing as a well-considered attempt to responsibly utilise those funds that are available.
Clearly the ACT government has maintained a strong level of support for community housing. We are asking all community housing providers to achieve accreditation within a 12-month period, which will ensure that all community housing services are provided in accordance with the national community housing standards. After all, how can we guarantee the quality of services to tenants of community housing if we do not have standards? Surely the tenants of community housing are entitled to receive quality tenancy management, to have their issues responded to in a timely manner, to have their properties maintained and repaired to a reasonable community standard. My guarantee, as the minister, to tenants is that government funds are well spent on community housing.
The end result is that the government believes it is on track already to provide affordable housing to the most disadvantaged members of our society through the community housing sector. The reforms under way will result in better housing services for those in need.
I hear grumblings across the chamber. You should be able to talk to these organisations. I do.
Mrs Burke: With a big stick in your hand.
MR HARGREAVES: Mrs Burke says I do this with a stick in my hand. What absolute codswallop is this!
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