Page 2401 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 30 July 2019
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Tenants have already started to move into their new homes that better suit their needs and are more energy efficient, lowering power bills and helping with the cost of living. The ACTÂ government is committed to making housing more affordable and accessible, and the growth and renewal program is delivering more housing for Canberrans who need it most.
MS CODY: Minister, how will the program impact the lives of public housing tenants?
MS BERRY: I thank Ms Cody for the supplementary. I have seen the changes these new homes make on the lives of the tenants, and I will share a story of a couple I met recently. The Rentons had lived in their Wanniassa home for the past 38 years. In that time it had served them well; they raised their kids there. But with their kids all grown up and having moved out they had been looking to downsize and move into a property that would be easier to manage as they got older.
The Rentons were some of the first tenants to move into a new home as part of the new growth and renewal program, with their old home to be demolished and redeveloped into brand new public housing. The Rentons have moved into a brand new, fully accessible two-bedroom home with a small yard which will suit their needs for many years to come.
Building new homes for families like the Rentons is important to meet the housing needs for Canberrans who need some help from the community. Half of public housing households include at least one person with a disability, so new homes must be built to be accessible for more tenants.
It was really great to meet the Rentons in their new home, and I look forward to meeting more tenants as they move into their new homes over the coming years.
MS ORR: How does this program build on the previous public housing renewal program?
MS BERRY: This builds on the 1,288 homes that have been built and renewed over the previous renewal program. While the previous program focused on the renewal of some of our oldest and least efficient public housing across 13 sites, this new program will see homes built all across the city. The growth and renewal will predominantly focus on the better use and development of existing Housing land, for example, replacing an older, inefficient house on a large block with two accessible, modern homes that are easier to maintain.
The heart of this program are the people who need a new home, with the first batch of development occurring on sites where tenants have already indicated that they wish to move. Housing ACT will work with these tenants over a long period of time to identify the right homes that will suit their needs. Then, once complete, the development and renewal of their old home can begin.
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