ACT Labor has committed to delivering 1000 extra public and community housing properties over the next eight years, promising to have 13,200 properties by the end of 2030.
The public housing commitment is included as part of a broader promise to enable the construction of 5000 affordable rental properties over this time.
The party say if they are re-elected the delivery of new public housing will be declared as a major project.
Labor's promises follow declines in the number of public housing properties over recent years and a delay in delivering an extra 400 public housing properties.
The Productivity Commission showed there were 10,827 public housing properties in Canberra as of June 30, 2023. This was lower than 2018 when there were 11,181 public houses in the territory, the commission's report on government services showed.
The government said there are 11,749 public housing properties in Canberra as of July 31, 2024. This includes 1066 properties managed through community housing providers but the Productivity Commission data does not include these properties.
The ACT government has consistently said the number of public housing properties would go down before having a notable increase as part of its public housing renewal program.
Labor's 5000 promised extra affordable rental properties include public housing, community and affordable rental dwellings. This would include properties managed by community housing providers and other initiatives such as build-to-rent properties.
Housing Minister Yvette Berry said the territory would work with the Commonwealth, superannuation funds, community housing providers and build-to-rent providers to deliver the extra properties.
She said the territory would also work with other states and add requirements for public housing in land releases.
"A re-elected Labor government will partner with larger states like NSW and Queensland to purchase, at scale, modular housing to significantly reduce the time, and cost, to deliver new public housing dwellings," Ms Berry said.
"We will also conduct dedicated annual land releases for public housing and community housing projects."
The 1000 extra public housing properties by 2030 would be on top of the already-promised 400 new public housing properties by 2027.
The government's growth and renewal program has been plagued with delays and cost blowouts. A report from the Auditor-General found the program was delayed by three years and will cost $260 million more than initially forecast.
The audit found it would not grow the proportion of public housing properties, saying for every 1000 residents the number actually decrease from 28 in 2018 to 24 in 2027 due to population growth.
The government responded to say increasing the number of proportion of public housing properties was not the purpose of the program but rather it was focused on building more accessible and sustainable properties.
Labor has also promised to increase the government's affordable housing fund from $80 million to $100 million. Under the fund, the government provides funding to community housing providers and build-to-rent operators for "shovel-ready" projects.
The party has also re-committed to progressively insourcing public housing maintenance. The government is undertaking a pilot on the maintenance of two public housing complexes and say this would increase to 10 by 2026.
"As we grow public housing in Canberra, we will improve the maintenance program to be more responsive to tenants needs," Ms Berry said.
Labor has been under pressure to deliver an ambitious housing policy after the ACT Council of Social Service said the decline in social housing was one of the "greatest policy failures in our community's history".
ACTCOSS and ACT Shelter want a commitment for social housing to be at least 10 per cent of all housing stock by 2036.
Under Labor's plan affordable housing would make up more than 15 per cent of new homes built by 2030. The party's housing plan enables 30,000 new homes over the next eight years.
The Canberra Liberals have promised to add 2000 extra affordable housing properties in Canberra during the next term of government.
The ACT Greens have pitched a policy of spending $5.9 billion to build and buy 10,000 new public housing dwellings over the next decade.
