The ACT Council of Social Service welcomed investments in housing and the community sector announced in the 2021–22 Budget yesterday as the ACT emerges from the COVID-19 health and economic crisis.
However, ACTCOSS wondered how the ACT Government would provide the number of public and community houses it had promised, and was concerned that there was no ongoing funding for services, or that the Budget did not address some important issues.
In its pre-Budget submission, ACTCOSS had called for the government to act on key cost of living pressures (including housing, health, transport, education, energy, and ensuring equal access to justice) and to provide more support for community housing providers to deliver 600 affordable rental properties.
The Budget includes previously announced measures of $80 million for improved maintenance of ACT public housing stock, $19 million for the Growing and Renewing Public Housing Program, and $8.6 million for specialist homelessness services.
CEO Dr Emma Campbell said: “While additional investments in housing are welcome, this Budget has still not explained how the Government will deliver its full promised commitment of 400 additional public dwellings and 600 additional affordable rental properties by the end of the Parliamentary Agreement.
“Building of public houses needs to be accelerated, and more support must be provided to community housing providers if the Government is serious about meeting these targets.”
In addition to the housing measures, ACTCOSS welcomed other key budget measures that would support vulnerable Canberrans:
- Investments in mental health, alcohol and drug services, and primary health care;
- Ongoing funding to expand the Safe and Connected Youth Program;
- Additional funding for frontline services supporting those impacted by domestic and family violence through an increase in the Family Safety Levy;
- Funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including the establishment of a Healing and Reconciliation Fund, support for ACT Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, an Aboriginal Business Support Package, and a culturally appropriate suicide prevention program;
- Support for targeted concessions and assistance measures, including the expansion of the utilities concession, an increase in the Pensioner General Rates Rebate Cap, and the continuation of the Utilities Hardship Fund;
- Support for the JobTrainer program, which will fund free training places for vocational students studying community sector qualifications;
- Funding for a Patient Navigation Service to better co-ordinate care across the health system for people with chronic and complex conditions.
The Government would also provide additional funding for the community legal sector and the ACT’s Aboriginal community-controlled health service, Winnunga Nimmityjah.
But the community sector was concerned about the lack of ongoing funding for many services, Dr Campbell said.
“We need an ongoing commitment from government. Organisations need to be able to provide certainty to staff and the people they support.”
The Budget did not address several important issues, she said, such as gaps in supports for older Canberrans, perinatal health services and community facilities. ACTCOSS was disappointed the Budget did not include funding for the ACT Carers Strategy or a Disability Health Strategy.
The Budget failed to address the community sector’s ongoing calls for an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples in the justice system, Dr Campbell said.
Overall, ACTCOSS said, the 2021-22 ACT Budget provided a basis for the shared work of government and the community sector as the Territory recovered from the COVID-19 health and economic crisis.
“Investment in community organisations also supports our local economy by delivering significant returns on investment through jobs and spending in the local economy,” Dr Campbell said.
“The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated that when the ACT Government works in partnership with the community sector, we are able to achieve positive outcomes for vulnerable Canberrans. We look forward to using this Budget as the starting point towards a more equitable and just ACT community.”
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