Page 4401 - Week 12 - Thursday, 24 October 2019
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$5,000 per person per year for people who commenced a public housing tenancy after being homeless. The figure was much higher for people who had been users of specialist homeless services. The savings to the health budget for these people were over $13,000 per year. Both of these figures are net of the cost of providing public housing. So for these people it was cheaper, as well as being more compassionate and more humane. If the figures in the ACT are the same as in WA, it could be cheaper to house these people.
Looking at Brisbane, which had the most recent evaluation done, in 2016 the Brisbane Common Ground was looked at by the Institute for Social Science Research. They compared the cost of the people living in Common Ground versus people who were chronically homeless for 12 months. They found that it actually saved the Brisbane City Council $13,100 per tenant per year to house them. It would be really great if we adopted an approach like that and we had a better outcome for the people on the ground and saved the ACT government money. It is a win-win. A housing-first approach has been adopted in many cities and jurisdictions around the world, including across all of Finland. They have really reduced homelessness, and it has saved the government there 9,600 euros per person per year.
Currently we have a range of ad hoc services, projects, pilots, programs and all sorts of things operating in the ACT, and I am sure all of them are doing an excellent and much-needed job. But, based on available evidence, it appears clear that providing a home to people experiencing homelessness ultimately saves the government money, even when the cost of that home is factored into the equation. I am hopeful that the analysis that will be provided as a result of this will give us an idea as to how the ACT government can best respond to homelessness in a more compassionate, effective and cost-effective way. I would like to think that the economist in Mr Barr would agree with such an approach. I am fairly hopeful, because I understand that the Labor Party is going to vote for this.
Talking briefly about Mr Parton’s amendment, it is well known that I strongly support the land tax exemption for affordably rented houses and I would like to see that extended.
MS BERRY (Ginninderra—Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development, Minister for Housing and Suburban Development, Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Sport and Recreation and Minister for Women) (5.07): I am happy to have the chance to talk about housing and homelessness and the work the ACT government is doing in this space to support people who have experienced homelessness in the ACT. The ACT government is committed to reducing homelessness and working with the specialist homelessness sector to intervene early to prevent people from falling into crisis.
Members will know that last year I released the ACT’s housing strategy, which outlined the government’s ongoing commitment to early intervention, addressing gaps, improving pathways out of homelessness and reducing the intergenerational impacts of homelessness. The ACT is well placed to act and reduce homelessness further. While homelessness across Australia increased by 14 per cent between the 2011 and
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