Page 2317 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 12 August 2014
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housing is changing as the tenant profile changes. The government is seeking to respond to the needs of tenants who tell us that they wish to relocate to other areas of the city to be closer to family and friends.
Specific projects in the renewal program include the construction of 20 units to enable older public housing tenants to downsize into accommodation purpose built for older tenants. The properties will be constructed to at least the gold standard liveable housing design, which will allow tenants to age in place.
Accommodation that is culturally appropriate and better suited to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders will be built. The need for suitable and appropriate accommodation for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders was identified as a priority by the previous elected body.
There is a $27 million investment in a range of specific housing initiatives to improve outcomes for existing tenants and to provide new purpose-built housing to better meet our tenants needs, including funding to improve security for older public housing tenants, funding for project independence, a model that affords people with disability and low incomes a chance of home ownership, as well as funding to build a number of dual occupancy properties that will enable people with a disability to share the cost of support. These are but a few of the examples that will roll out across the city in this fiscal year.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Dr Bourke.
DR BOURKE: Minister, are there other initiatives in the budget that invest in providing housing services?
MR BARR: Yes, the $322,000 commitment to establish the one human services gateway, which will be the central point to improve access to information and self-support options to link individuals and families into more intensive and tailored support where they need it. The gateway is one of the first initiatives funded under the human services blueprint that transforms our human services system and improves outcomes for Canberrans accessing the system.
The budget also provides $1.52 million for a specialist homelessness service delivery, and this funding matches the commonwealth government’s commitment for one year only, unfortunately, under the national partnership agreement on homelessness. The ACT hopes that this funding will be continued by the commonwealth into the future.
In 2014-15 we will also complete the common ground development in Gungahlin, and we have in the budget committed funding to start tenancy and support services at common ground, funding that will increase over the forward estimates period.
Of course our new over-60s home bonus in the 2014-15 budget will also be a significant boost for older Canberrans looking to move to new accommodation. Those who are able to access the scheme will see their stamp duty slashed to only $20, a saving of up to $20,000—this government’s further commitment to cutting stamp duty for every single property in this city.
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