Page 4725 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 20 October 2010
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In addition to growing and improving our stock, a shared equity scheme has been implemented. This scheme is being delivered in partnership with IMB and has attracted over 40 applications, with four contracts being exchanged and 12 applicants active on a purchase path.
As part of our election commitments we undertook to house tenants into public housing as soon as possible. Notwithstanding our efforts to increase stock numbers, the demand continues to exceed supply. Housing ACT’s allocation system aims to house those most in need within the shortest possible time. In the last financial year, over 96 per cent of allocations were priority and high needs allocations, with 65 per cent of priority housing applicants being housed within 90 days. As promised before the election, Housing ACT has enhanced support programs for tenants to support sustainable tenancies.
Housing ACT’s youth housing program provides tenancy management and supports and assists young people’s access to public housing. This program will be complemented by a youth foyer in 2011 which will provide a housing program linked to engagement with education, training or employment.
Housing ACT has also developed the helping our senior tenants program to undertake needs assessment for our tenants aged 85 years and over living in public housing. Housing ACT has supported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families through a program which includes community outreach and a property extension program to address overcrowding. We have also developed a domestic violence manual to ensure consistent and best practice service provision for women who have experienced domestic violence.
Mr Speaker, you can see that these are a few initiatives that have shown that we have delivered on our commitments at the last election. But there is still time for more action. This work program reflects the government’s strong and ongoing commitment to social justice in our community.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, a supplementary question?
MR HARGREAVES: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Minister, could you please give us a bit more detail on the program that you are going to be delivering?
MS BURCH: I am pleased to have the opportunity to inform the Assembly in more depth about the efforts to reduce homelessness in the ACT. The ACT is working, as part of a national effort, to halve homelessness by 2020, a goal that I am sure will be supported by all members in the Assembly. We are working closely with the homelessness and housing support services to create a comprehensive service system. It is not just new services that are going to reduce homelessness; it takes a community effort.
At the last election we committed to enhancing support to homeless individuals and families in our community. The street to home program, which has arisen from the government’s commitment to outreach support to people sleeping rough in the
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