ACT Shadow Minister for Housing, Mark Parton, has called on the ACT Labor-Greens Government to urgently commit to reviewing their public housing strategy to address the housing crisis in Canberra.

Addressing the ACT Legislative Assembly on Tuesday 8 February, Mr Parton said the Productivity Commission’s latest Report on Government Services (RoGS) showed the ACT’s spending on public housing fell by $6 million within the last year.

“This Labor-Greens Government has failed in its basic duty of care to thousands of Canberra’s most vulnerable residents, and they should be ashamed,” Mr Parton said.

“I’ve spoken to hundreds of ACT Housing tenants across Canberra, and they’re being left behind by Labor and the Greens. As funding decreases, it will only get worse.”

Mr Parton said the number of public housing dwellings in the ACT has fallen by 164 residences in 2021 compared with 2019.

“There is a housing crisis in Canberra that Labor and the Greens have refused to acknowledge or take action on. This Labor-Greens Government has turned their backs on public housing tenants and it’s not good enough,” he said.

“Once this Labor-Greens Government acknowledges its shortfalls, the ACT can engage with Community Housing Providers and work together to offer affordable housing to the Canberrans who need it most.”

Mr Parton is also calling on the ACT Government to allow Community Housing Providers to address the shortfall of affordable homes through access to affordable land, release details and the exact timeline of the delivery of Parliamentary and Governing Agreement commitments, and report back to the Assembly by 31 March.

ACT Minister for Housing and Suburban Development Yvette Berry said in response to the motion that the government will continue to develop, reform, and consider new and innovative ways to address the housing crisis.

“The timeframes are very clear in the strategy. We will deliver 400 new homes and we will renew 1000 homes,” Ms Berry said.

“We would have 1000 new public housing properties had the Canberra Liberals not sold off 1000 properties that are now privately owned dwellings.”

The Canberra Liberals have not held government in the ACT for over 20 years, since 2001.

The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) and ACT Shelter have welcomed Mr Parton’s motion and said the Productivity Commission’s recent RoGS reveals “major failings” in the government’s efforts to address the housing crisis.

ACTCOSS CEO, Dr Emma Campbell, said “the ACT continues to have the highest rate of rental stress of any Australian jurisdiction and more than 30 per cent of clients who approached homeless services with a need for accommodation did not have their needs met”.

“The ACT has the lowest level of community housing per capita in the country. In tight economic times, it is important to get the most bang for the buck, and community housing has demonstrated that it is the most efficient mechanism to grow the social and affordable rental supply.”

ACT Shelter CEO, Mr Travis Gilbert, said “the average wait time for standard social housing is now more than 4.2 years, or 1,541 days”.

“This is not surprising as the share of social housing in the ACT has declined from 7.6 per cent in 2014 to 6.7 per cent in 2020,” he said.

“Sustained increase in investment in housing infrastructure will change the lives of Canberrans experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness for the better. It will also pay dividends to the Territory in the form of reduced expenditure on government services and increased participation in the economic and social life of our city.”

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