Page 3750 - Week 12 - Thursday, 25 November 2021
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new homes, the purchase of 89 land sites and the acquisition of 71 dwellings from the market.
Now in its third year, the Growing and Renewing Public Housing program is gaining momentum, with the allocation of $18.5 million by the ACT government in the 2021-22 budget. This investment includes helping 156 households to relocate to allow for the sale or redevelopment of properties; demolishing 91 properties to allow for redevelopment on these sites; purchasing 22 land sites from the Suburban Land Agency; having 809 dwellings in the work in progress schedule at various stages of planning, design and construction, of which a further 116 dwellings will be delivered this financial year, with the remainder delivered prior to the program’s completion in 2024-25; and purchasing an additional 69 dwellings from the market.
To support the maintenance of public housing, the ACT government has funded an $80 million boost to maintenance over the next three years. This initiative builds on the additional investment of $8.9 million to maintenance as economic stimulus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this measure, the government will provide capital funding to increase public housing repairs and maintenance, including kitchen upgrades, domestic violence security works and disability modifications.
This maintenance funding injection reflects Housing ACT’s role as an integrated social housing services provider, which extends beyond tenancy management services to provide support to achieve better social and economic outcomes for tenants and people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. The boost to the maintenance budget is so important because access to safe, secure housing is vital to the safety and wellbeing of tenants.
This budget also recognises that, throughout COVID-19, there has been an increase in people accessing homelessness services in the ACT. The government will continue the commitment of addressing homelessness in the ACT, including investing $18 million over four years to expand the capacity of specialist homelessness services, which have provided additional funding to continue the COVID homelessness initiatives of Mackillop House, Winter Lodge and the client support fund; and will provide a 12.7 per cent increase in funding across the specialist homelessness sector, which will enable the sector to continue to provide crisis accommodation, transitional housing, domestic violence counselling, education, support and advocacy services to Canberrans in need.
These are important and vital funding increases for the sector. With Minister Vassarotti, the Minister for Homelessness and Housing Services, Minister Berry continues to work closely with the sector to ensure that these commitments will drive the best outcomes for providers, clients and everyone connected with the specialist homelessness services sector.
The ACT government is Australia’s biggest advocate for and supporter of public housing. This year’s budget demonstrates our enduring commitment to provide safe, secure and affordable homes to Canberrans who need them.
Proposed expenditure agreed to.
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