ACT Housing has released a report card on the first year of its 10-year Housing Strategy.
Minister for Housing, Yvette Berry said 15 of the 16 targeted actions in the Strategy identified for delivery in 2018-19, were completed or progressing, with a further 39 actions underway or completed.
Ms Berry said that since the release of the report, the Government had made significant progress on the actions to implement its goals over the next 10 years.
“In the first year of the Strategy the government’s Affordable Home Purchase Program was developed to assist low to moderate income earners enter the home ownership market and received approximately 135 eligible applicants and five developments with an affordable dwelling requirement,” Ms Berry said
She said that in May there was also the release the ‘Growing and Renewing Public Housing 2019-24’ plan which has seen $100 million made available for investment in new public housing in Canberra, to renew 1,000 homes and add 200 homes to the public housing stock over five years.
“The report also supported a second Common Ground in Canberra to provide long-term housing for people facing chronic homelessness, focusing on supporting women and children, families and single parents, and older women – growing cohorts in need of assistance,” Ms Berry said.
She said that other actions reported in the Strategy’s report card included dedicating at least 15 per cent of the land releases for affordable, community and public housing; establishing the National Capital Design Review Panel; expanding services for the Human Services Gateway; and amending the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 to focus more on fairness and security for vulnerable people.
Ms Berry said the actions also saw $6.5 million invested in new programs for older women and asylum seekers at risk of homelessness; the opening of the first of four long-term houses for people with mental health issues; and progression of the delivery of trauma training for the specialist homelessness sector in 2019-20.
“The ACT Government will continue to increase the supply of, and access to, affordable homes through growing and diversifying the community housing sector and investigating new mechanisms to encourage more affordable rentals,” Ms Berry said.
The 7-page Strategy can be accessed at this PS News link.
