Page 2096 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 21 June 2011
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per unit, I calculated—and I am quite happy to have it tested on someone else’s calculator—that that is $1.4 billion over 10 years, which is $140 million; sorry, I do apologise, Mr Speaker.
I have also said that there are other ways that you could address the issue of homelessness and housing demand. What I have just introduced yesterday, made an announcement about and spoke about today is an affordable housing product to be delivered by Housing ACT where older Canberrans on limited income can purchase into a property at 75 per cent. We also have a product that supports affordable rental. We are also investing in our community housing sector. Community Housing Canberra has a loan facility of $50 million over a number of years. We have recently increased that by another $20 million.
There are many things that this government continues to do in this budget. We provided increased support to St Vinnies in their street-to-home program. In talking with many of the workers last Thursday evening that manage that program, they have estimated that there are about 20 chronic rough sleepers. If we add on the transient rough sleepers—transient could be a night a week or a number of months—that can come close to 100.
In any society we should be very mindful of that and as a government do all we can to offer relief and support to those that are seeking affordable housing options or those that are experiencing homelessness. That is why we have brought on additional transitional housing. We have on line at least 39 properties that are supporting—I did have a figure there but it escapes me at the moment—a significant number of single people but also family units in those 39 transitional properties.
Following my experience and the conversations from last Thursday, I am also talking with St Vinnies about how we can bring on some emergency programs in light of that to better support the street-to-home program. Through St Vinnies, if they have someone who is coming to them for shelter for the night, I am more than happy to have a conversation with them to see what properties we can bring on line for their expertise to use as they see fit.
Ms Bresnan, in regard to your question, “How do we meet this demand,” this government has a history of growth in the public housing sector. You can sit there with the twist to your face, Ms Bresnan—
Ms Bresnan: A “twist to your face”?
MS BURCH: Well, it has that little twist but a 30 per cent increase does have a bill of $1.4 billion—(time expired)
MR SPEAKER: Ms Bresnan, a supplementary question?
MS BRESNAN: I will ask the question without a twist to my face. Minister, why is it that the public housing asset management strategy—
Mr Coe interjecting—
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