Determined to tackle the ACT’s social housing and homelessness crises, Independents for Canberra MLAs say that if they hold the balance of power after this October’s ACT Election, they would create a social housing trigger whereby Housing ACT is guaranteed funding sufficient to:
- Reduce the priority housing list wait time to a maximum of 30 days;
- Reduce the high needs housing list wait time to a maximum of 90 days; and
- Ensure the ACT ranks first in Australia in terms of public housing dwelling condition.
The group expects building and maintaining the housing stock needed to achieve these targets would require significant additional capital and recurrent expenditure.
Independents for Canberra candidates would also implement a dedicated child and youth homelessness action plan, co-designed with the community sector, to eliminate homelessness among children and young people in the ACT.
The group’s first tranche of policies, announced last week, which include a commitment to closing the 30 per cent community sector funding gap, bolster this commitment.
3,152 households are on the ACT public housing waitlist, likely equating to roughly 7,000 people. The average wait time for Canberrans on the priority public housing waitlist is 197 days, which is for people who “need urgent help with housing”, including people who are homeless, have serious health issues, or who are experiencing domestic violence, among others. The high needs housing average wait time is more than three years (1,197 days).
The ACT is currently the second-worst state or territory in Australia in terms of the condition of its public housing stock.
Thomas Emerson, Independents for Canberra’s leader and candidate for Kurrajong, said people in every electorate wanted to see urgent action from the ACT Government on housing and homelessness.
“It’s time to end homelessness in Canberra,” Mr Emerson said.
“How can it be that the most progressive government in the country has completely failed to house so many of the most vulnerable members of our community? 12 years under the Labor-Greens coalition has seen a reduction in public housing stock of almost 9 per cent despite population growth of 30 per cent.
“Women fleeing violence are being told to wait. People are sleeping in cars parked around the lake or at your local shops, some with children in the back seat.
“Almost 900 children are homeless in the ACT, and over 400 of those children are under the age of 10. Is this what we want for our national capital?
“I want my kids to grow up in a Canberra where there’s a safe place to sleep for everyone, not just for those who can afford it.
“We need far more good-quality social housing and comprehensive wraparound services for people experiencing homelessness, neither of which has been prioritised by our government.”
Riley Fernandes, candidate for Brindabella, is a single mother who has been on the public housing waitlist since September 2022.
“I’ve been on the housing waitlist for almost two years,” Ms Fernandes said.
“It’s been a bumpy ride. I’m now in a private rental that my friend was open to sharing with me and my 18-month-old daughter.
“There isn’t a single rental property in Canberra that I could afford on my own.
“We’ve seen reports released for several years consecutively saying more social housing is needed to bring Australians out of poverty, but the numbers just keep getting worse.”
