The ACT Government is investing tens of millions of dollars into improving current public housing stock and building new homes (such as the one pictured), as well as growing the number of affordable rentals. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.
The Housing ACT Capital Works Program’s funding for the next four years has reached $530 million with another injection from the upcoming Territory budget.
The budget contains $108 million in additional funding for new public housing, and to improve existing public housing to help the government fulfil its commitment to provide 600 additional affordable rentals and 400 additional public housing homes, as outlined in the current Parliamentary and Governing Agreement.
The announcement came as the government released the ACT Housing Strategy 5-Year Snapshot, outlining how its 10-year strategy (spanning 2018 to 2028) has been faring.
According to the latest report card, of the strategy’s 74 actions, 37 have been completed, 29 are in development, progressing or continuing, and one is not progressing. (Seven annual actions have been completed.)
The action that’s been abandoned was the plan to develop a new service delivery approach that “works with tenants to give them greater flexibility to choose a home that suits their needs”.
But Housing ACT has determined the ‘Choice Based Letting’ pilot program wasn’t a “practical or effective” method of working with tenants, “given high demand for properties and constrained supply”.
The budget also contains money to oversee a pilot for insourcing maintenance of “two large multi-unit properties”.
Housing and Suburban Development Minister Yvette Berry said the taskforce would work with tenants, unions and community organisations to make sure all voices were heard.
“In line with the ACT Government’s commitment that if a job can be done by a public servant, it should be, our new insourcing taskforce will consider how government can better deliver repairs and maintenance services for the over 20,000 Canberrans who call public housing home,” she said.
The ACT Greens have indicated it would establish a publicly owned developer and builder for public housing to address the maintenance backlog if the party is elected in October.
The Affordable Housing Project Fund (established in 2023) will receive an extra $20 million to continue its expansion.
It has already funded six projects that have delivered 280 affordable rentals.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said increased housing construction and improved affordability continued to be a priority for the government.
“The expansion of the Affordable Housing Project Fund reinforces our commitment to increase the supply of affordable rentals in Canberra, including by supporting the development of more build-to-rent projects,” he said.
The budget announcement comes off the back of the government’s commitment to release land to support the construction of more than 21,000 new homes.
It has already received criticism from the sector, with Master Builders ACT CEO Michael Hopkins stating that while more land was welcome, most of the promised land currently couldn’t be built on.
“Of the 2024-25 commitment, around 58 per cent is from a site being re-released and is not likely to be fully available for new house construction for several years,” he said.
“The latest land release program comes after one of the lowest releases in years at 1883 dwellings for the current financial year.”
The government says it continues to work towards delivering its commitments under the National Housing Accord.
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