Page 3162 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 August 2013
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The national partnership agreement on homelessness has been transitionally extended for a further 12 months, resulting in the ACT receiving $1.48 million. Whilst future funding for homelessness programs and initiatives is uncertain, the ACT government has allocated $580,000 to continue funding existing services under the agreement until 2014.
I am hopeful that once the federal election has been held we will be able to get some greater certainty, whatever the outcome is, about what the situation will be in relation to these national partnership agreements. I know that many of the services around town are very nervous. They were concerned to see only a 12-month extension of the program. There does seem to be a bit of a black hole generally on what will be the policies of whatever incoming federal government there will be in this area. I am hopeful that we can get some clarity on that pretty quickly once the election is over.
Turning to the issue of tenure, Mr Coe made some remarks about the program the government has embarked on to move those tenants with sustained high incomes out of the program. He made some references to the cases being handled correctly. Certainly there has been a very thorough process. People who have been assessed as having a sustained level of income that would enable them to move into their own private sector, stable accommodation have been assessed carefully. They have gone through an assessment panel. There has been an opportunity for appeal and an opportunity to provide additional information.
I believe that this process has been entered into with a good level of safeguards, but if there are specific examples of where that appears to have fallen down—I hope that there are not—I would certainly welcome members bringing those matters to my attention, if there are specific problems or specific examples.
In terms of the continuity of this program, this is a standing policy of the government. There has been one group identified at the moment and the department is proceeding through that. Clearly the intent of the policy is about those people who are capable of providing within their own means because their circumstances have improved. Given the demand for public housing and a desire to get the best use out of the stock and help those most in need, I think it is appropriate to continue with that.
That brings me to the issue that was raised in the estimates committee around my personal position and that of the Greens. I think that the issue that was raised in the estimates report was inappropriate. I do not think that is the place to explore an individual member’s views. I think the estimates report should be about matters of policy as opposed to seeking to find those inconsistencies.
Nonetheless, as the ACT Greens member for Molonglo and also the Minister for Housing, I am happy to say that I support, and continue to support, the ACT Greens 2012 election policy platform that recognised that “security of tenure enhances quality of life and economic wellbeing and was integral to the effective provision of social housing”. This policy platform also recognised the need to improve the utilisation of the existing housing stock.
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