Page 511 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 18 February 2015

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In Canberra over the last 12 months we have seen a significant decrease in the average rental cost of units and houses. This has resulted in higher vacancy rates in the private market. The Housing ACT waiting list fluctuates over time. I would hope that the public housing waiting list will soon start to reflect this drop in private rental prices. Ms Lawder claimed that we have 300 fewer public housing dwellings in the ACT compared to 10 years ago. The Labor government has taken a holistic approach to affordable and social housing—investing in public housing, community and supported housing, and affordable housing.

Every year the ACT government is required to report on stock numbers for the Report on Government Services. Under ROGS, public housing dwellings are separately reported from community housing and other supported housing. At 30 June 2014, the number of public housing dwellings reported in ROGS was 10,848. ROGS reports a reduction of public housing properties in the ACT from 11,139 in 2004 to 10,848 in 2014, a decrease of 291. However, over the same period ROGS reports an increase in community housing from 409 to 610, an increase of 201. This has been complemented by significant additional investment by the government in community and affordable housing.

In 2013-14 the ACT ROGS figures showed a 49 per cent increase in the number of community housing tenancies. In addition, and not counted in these numbers, is the establishment of affordable housing options in the community housing sector, including Community Housing Canberra with over 400 homes.

The government has recognised and acknowledged that housing affordability remains a challenge for low and moderate income earners in households in Canberra and has taken considerable action to address these issues. Since 2007 the government has released three phases of its affordable housing action plan, the most recent of which had a particular focus on affordability in the private rental market.

Actions taken through the affordable housing action plan to support private renters have included supporting CHC Affordable Housing to build and deliver 500 new affordable rental homes for low and moderate households and supporting the development of approximately 2,000 new affordable rental dwellings through the national rental affordability scheme, many of which provide subsidised accommodation for students.

Reports such as ROGS show that the ACT is, in fact, better off than many other jurisdictions, having the second lowest proportion of low income households in rental stress of all the states and territories. This does not mean that private rents are automatically affordable for low and moderate income earners, nor that the government’s work is done. However, it does indicate that the policies and the programs put in place by this government are effective and leading to better rental affordability for Canberrans.

The government continues to work with the private and community sectors to improve access to high-quality and affordable housing options for all Canberrans, including those with low to medium incomes. The government has invested heavily in


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