Page 4436 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 30 October 2018
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ACT. The work of the demonstration housing project will progress that. On 10 October I announced that 19 of the original 27 expressions of interest have been approved to submit a request for proposal. I understand that one proponent has since withdrawn from the process, but I look forward to following the progress of the 18 remaining projects in coming months.
Canberra’s social housing portfolio caters to a diverse group of residents. Indeed, 29 per cent of these households include someone living with a disability. The housing strategy sets out that we need homes with higher standards of accessibility and adaptability. Housing ACT makes provisions within its budget to prioritise the construction of public housing accommodation to meet the class C adaptable housing standards. Adaptable housing ensures that people of all ages and abilities can live in a home and that it can be easily adapted to meet changing household needs without substantial modifications. Class C housing must include all essential features of the Australian standard for adaptable housing and be certified by an independent accessibility consultant.
In 2017-18 Housing ACT spent almost $1.7 million on disability modifications to 393 homes. Housing ACT also employs three occupational therapists to provide an in-home occupational therapy assessment service to tenants. This service provides professional advice on the disability modifications required to assist tenants with a disability to live more independently in their public housing homes and is a clear demonstration of the ACT government’s ongoing commitment to disability inclusion.
Canberra is changing, and this is nowhere more evident than in my electorate of Kurrajong. We have seen the densification of areas in the inner north and inner south, Braddon and Kingston being the prime, but not only, examples. This means that people are living closer to work, shops, cafes and public transport. Demand for properties in these areas shows that people do want to live in these areas and in apartments. The evidence simply does not support assertions that Canberrans do not want to live in apartments. Indeed, I speak to many people in my electorate of Kurrajong who have downsized or who are looking to downsize from the empty nest to a smaller, more modern and adaptable apartment.
For myself, I have lived in flats since 2001, when I bought a little place in Holder. I have never regretted this choice to live in a smaller home. But what has been important is good design and building quality. That is why these aspects are so important in the planning strategy refresh and in the work that Minister Ramsay has taken on from Minister Gentleman around building quality. That is absolutely critical to getting the housing mix right in this city.
Of course, the ACT government also understands that this type of housing is not for everyone, which is why the government is delivering changes through the housing strategy and the work being undertaken by Minister Gentleman in housing choices to diversity the housing mix in the ACT. I look forward to seeing the housing strategy in action across our city in the future and the changes that are being made across all the portfolios that are affected by the housing strategy. I again congratulate the Deputy Chief Minister on this comprehensive piece of work and on her leadership in this critical area for the future of Canberra.
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