Page 4429 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 30 October 2018
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people also remain over-represented among people experiencing homelessness. The ACT government will continue to work with the elected body and support culturally appropriate social housing accommodation and support programs. Construction of a second $4.5 million purpose-built housing complex for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is already underway in Lyons, funded from the 2018 budget.
The strategy also strengthens the government’s commitment to social housing assistance. Every person deserves a place to call home. Through circumstance and hardship some people do not have secure housing and the opportunity to stabilise and flourish. Where this is the case the government has a role to step in and provide housing. Public housing supports over 20,000 Canberrans. The ACT government owns around 11,900 homes for social housing, and we have the highest ratio of public housing in the country. I remain committed to this responsibility. The government will not outsource it but, instead, grow our public housing stock and ensure more people can have the security of a home.
The strategy commits the government to $100 million in additional funding over the next five years that will build on the most extensive renewal of public housing Canberra has ever seen. Over the past five years the public housing renewal program has been replacing older, less efficient homes with newer, more efficient dwellings. By June 2019 this program will have replaced 1,288 homes, roughly 11 per cent of our current housing stock. Renewal will continue with around 1,000 further homes to be renewed, and the stock will grow by at least 200.
Our government will continue to say to public housing tenants that they belong as equals in every suburb in this city. This is the right thing to do for equality in our community. But it is far more than that—it is rational, cost-effective social policy which understands that housing people in need is far more sensible than letting them fall into homelessness and the acute service systems like health and corrections which would follow otherwise.
This program will also continue to support local industry, with thousands of jobs having been supported by the public housing renewal program so far. The strategy also includes actions to provide a better experience for public housing clients, like an online portal, electronic forms and a mobile app for access to information, services and tenancy accounts.
The strategy also recognises the significant contribution of the community housing sector and will enable its further growth. The 15 per cent land supply policy will enable community housing to grow within the capability of the sector. In addition, the government will initially provide 151 new dwellings for community housing, including 33 in a brand-new housing development soon to be completed in Kaleen. Where it can, the government will use its scale and capability to develop mixed housing, where public and community housing can grow together. This offers the social outcomes we are seeking and also helps community housing providers focus on the services they are best at. The strategy also sets out to support the growth of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community housing.
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