The number of people experiencing homelessness in the ACT has risen and the pressure for limited housing is set to intensify as a federal government program aimed at supporting affordable access to rental housing winds down.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show more than 1700 people were estimated to be homeless on Census night in 2021, an increase of almost 200 from 2016.
The Australian Capital Territory's homeless population in 2021 increased by 181 from 1596 people without a stable home in 2016, to 1777. Nationally the figure grew by 6067 people to a total of 122,494.
The release of data highlighting the extent of homelessness in Canberra has come as figures obtained by ACT Senator David Pocock show the city will be hit harder than any other electorate in the country by the closure of the Commonwealth's National Rental Affordability Scheme.
The figures show that between 2020 and 2026, 1703 Canberrans who have been participating in the National Rental Affordability Scheme will lose their incentives - more than any other jurisdiction in Australia.
This includes 333 incentives due to expire next year and 361 in 2026.
The scheme was established in 2008 as a way to increase the supply of affordable rental housing by providing an incentive to investors and landlords to lease to low and middle income tenants.
The then Coalition government closed the program to new entrants in 2014-15 budget and it is due to end in 2026 when existing agreements expire.
The winding down of the scheme is expected to exacerbate the difficulty those on low and middle incomes already experience in trying to find affordable accommodation in the ACT's tight rental market.
According to the ABS, hundreds of Canberra children and teenagers were living without stable accommodation on census night in 2021, with 15 per cent of the territory's homeless population aged under 12.
A further 9 per cent were aged 12-18, meaning there were 428 homeless people aged under 18 at the time.
Nationally, 23 per cent of all people experiencing homelessness were under the age of 24.
The data shows that most people experiencing homelessness in Canberra aren't sleeping rough, but living in other forms of unstable accommodation.
There were 59 people sleeping on the streets on Census night, but 862 people in supported accommodation such as hotels.
The Australian Capital Territory had the greatest proportion of people in supported accommodation on August 10 2021 of any state or territory, at 49 per cent of the homeless population.
Another 447 people were living in severely crowded dwellings, 269 were temporarily staying with other people,138 were in boarding houses, and six were in other temporary accommodation.
Across Australia, 7636 people slept on the streets on Census night, a drop from 8200 in 2016.
Minister for Housing and Homelessness Julie Collins called the figures unacceptable in Question Time on Wednesday, as she reiterated the Albanese government's commitment to the Housing Australia Future Fund.
"I'm sure that many of you in this place, like me, receive contact from community members every single day with the challenges of finding and keeping a safe place to call home," Ms Collins said
"I know that these challenges are reaching new people who have never been homeless or at risk of homelessness before."
The housing minister also announced $91.7 million in funding aimed at preventing youth homelessness, ahead of the release of data.
"We know that family breakdown is the leading cause of youth homelessness in this country, in fact on 2021 census night 23 per cent of all people experiencing homelessness were aged between five and 24 years of age," she said.
'Let's be more ambitious': Pocock
Senator Pocock is negotiating with the government over its plans to establish a $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund that it claims will pay for the provision of 30,000 social and affordable homes over five years.
The ACT senator has said the government needs to be much more ambitious about the scale of the fund given the extent of unmet need for social housing in Canberra and the nation more generally.
Senator Pocock said that under the government's current plan, the fund would deliver an extra 540 homes at best, which was well short of need given that 3100 families are on the waiting list.
"We like the idea, but let's be more ambitious," he said.
