Page 2572 - Week 08 - Thursday, 14 August 2014
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I think, though, it is fair to say that housing insecurity and homelessness cannot be solved by government alone. I was pleased to announce just before I handed over the portfolio that for the first time the government will develop a community housing strategy. This means working with community sector housing providers to support the sector’s growth and its role in providing an affordable alternative to public and private housing. I have seen some commentary that said, “How come the government has not done this sooner?” The community housing sector has been growing, and I think it has done a fine job. But what is clear in the government getting in behind this is that we have received direct urging from the community sector. The government has responded to that, as the government should be open to doing. It also signals a willingness on the part of government to boost this sector in recognition of the fact that we need a spectrum of housing supply and that the community sector can fill a gap that the private sector or the government possibly cannot.
There are still many challenges to overcome in housing. I look forward to being able to work as part of the ACT government in the coming years to address some of those challenges. We are witnessing, of course, a shortfall in federal funding and some significant uncertainty around federal policy direction. The delays with the one-year on one-year agreements when it comes to funding for various territory-commonwealth partnerships are very unhelpful, but with the incredible work of housing managers on a day-to-day basis, a solid government commitment to improving the quantity and quality of available housing and a nuanced approach to meeting the needs of tenants, I am confident that social housing will remain a keystone of our territory in helping people who are needing better assistance from government.
I will be watching this area with interest over the coming years. The Greens have been key advocates for Canberra’s social housing over the last 20 years; it was a privilege to continue that work during the period in which I was the housing minister. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of Housing ACT for their very dedicated work. It can be a tough job sometimes. It can be a bit of a thankless task, it would be fair to say, on occasions. Equally, though, the staff of Housing ACT know the great gratitude that many of their tenants have for the support that is provided.
I would particularly like to thank Bronwen Overton-Clarke, the executive director of Housing and Community Services, who is currently taking on another role, and her colleague, David Collett, the senior director of asset management. They are the two staff from Housing ACT with whom I had the most contact. There are many others in the team, of course, but I would like to thank them and all of their staff for their hard work and their support to me while I was in the role as minister. I wish them well into the future, and I wish Minister Barr well in taking up the significant task of looking after Housing ACT and helping those in our community who need assistance.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Housing and Minister for Tourism and Events) (11.54): I thank members for their contribution on this budget line item. The government is appropriating $43.459 million to Housing ACT as government payment for outputs. Importantly, this includes the territory’s matching funding of $1.52 million for the national partnership agreement on homelessness. The commonwealth is also
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