13 July 2016

Public housing renewal to continue

| Michael Reid

public housingThe programme to renew the ACT’s public housing stock will continue, with the Public Housing Renewal Taskforce conducting a second expression of interest process for suitable private residential developments to buy.

The first expression of interest, which closed in July last year, resulted in contracts for 14 projects and a total of 157 dwellings. Some of these are already completed and settled, with 30 of the properties now housing tenants.

Chief minister and minister for urban renewal Andrew Barr said the renewal program would ensure tenants have high-quality accommodation that met their needs, by building new homes or finding existing properties to replace outdated and unsuitable housing stock.

Building new homes would support more than 2,500 construction jobs over the life of the program, he said.

“Local builders who took part in the first expression of interest found it was great for their business.

“The savings and benefits provided through working with the taskforce, such as reduced holding and finance costs, minimised finance requirements and expedited settlement on completion, allowed them to take on housing renewal projects in addition to their existing work.

“This meant they were able to leverage their existing capacity, grow their order book, increase turnover and grow their business more rapidly.”

The taskforce is inviting proposals for all housing sizes from one to four bedrooms, all configurations – freestanding houses, cluster housing, town houses and apartments – in all locations, particularly mid-Canberra suburbs with low concentrations of public housing.

It will consider housing at all stages of development, from land held under option to newly constructed developments and completed projects with units available for vacant possession.

To receive the expression of interest documentation, interested parties need to register their details on the ACT government tenders website at www.tenders.act.gov.au, or by calling the Taskforce on (02) 6207 0991 or emailing housingrenewal@act.gov.au

The expression of interest is a rolling tender process to allow continuous assessment of proposals and will remain open until 31 December 2018, or until the taskforce has acquired all replacement housing it needs.

 

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