The first group of public housing tenants to move home as part of the Community Services Directorate’s Growth and Renewal Program has found housing that better suits their needs.
Announcing the moves, Minister for Housing, Yvette Berry said the ACT Housing Strategy included an allocation of $100 million towards the growth and renewal of Canberra’s public housing portfolio.
“The $100 million will enable the Government to add 200 homes to the portfolio and set in motion the sale and renewal of old public housing properties to generate an expected $500 million,” Ms Berry said.
“That money will be reinvested into growing and renewing public housing stock.”
She said a large part of the Growth and Renewal Program was making sure that tenants were in housing that best suited their needs.
She said that among the first group of four tenants moving as part of the program were Mr and Mrs Renton who had lived in public housing for 38 years.
“With their children growing up and moving out, the Rentons found themselves in a house that no longer met their needs and was becoming difficult to maintain,” Ms Berry said.
“Now settled into their new adaptable home …. the Rentons are very happy to be close to their family and part of this new community,” she said.
Mrs Renton said she and her husband had kept an open mind throughout the relocation process when approached to take part in the program and felt supported before, during and after their move.
Ms Berry said that as the group settled into their new homes, their previous properties were being redeveloped to grow and renew Housing ACT stock.
“Over the five-year life of the program, the Government will deliver 1,200 new homes built for public housing tenants, which includes an extra 200 homes for people on the housing register,” the Minister said.
