The ACT government has said increasing the proportion of public housing in Canberra is not the purpose of its growth and renewal program after coming under fire by the Auditor-General.
The Auditor-General found, in a report earlier this year, that Housing ACT's program to increase the territory's public housing stock by 400 properties and renew a further 1000 had been riddled with delays due to a failed program to forcibly relocate tenants.
The audit report said the growth and renewal program will cost $260 million more than initially forecast and take an extra three years. Despite this, the number of properties for every 1000 residents will actually decrease from 28 in 2018 to 24 in 2027 due to population growth.
The territory government has accepted all the report's recommendations and has acknowledged the deficiencies in the relocation process but has claimed the purpose of the program was not to grow the number of public housing properties on a per capita basis.
"The ACT government acknowledges the findings in the audit report highlighting that the program will not result in an increase to public homes per Canberran. However, it is important to note this is not the purpose of the program," the government response said.
"Since the program's establishment in 2019, it has focused on building more accessible and sustainable properties which meet the individual needs of public housing tenants and those on the waitlist, not on increasing the ratio of houses per Canberran."
Housing Minister Yvette Berry tabled the government's response in the Legislative Assembly last week. The response said housing needs would be addressed through a wider housing plan.
"Addressing the housing needs of the ACT population will be through action across the full continuum of housing options," the response said.
"The ACT housing strategy five goals [sic] that aim to address the multiple factors that influence the supply and demand of housing."
The audit mostly focused on the government's attempt to relocate more than 300 public housing tenants in early-2022. The program's troubles were first outlined by the ACT Ombudsman, who found Housing ACT had failed in properly communicating with tenants and did not provide adequate supports.
Ms Berry apologised to people affected by the program and it prompted the government to reassess its relocation process. The government's response to the Auditor-General's report said only voluntary relocations were required under the program.
"The ACT government has acknowledged deficits in the required tenant relocation process under the program," the response said.
"In 2023, a comprehensive review of the program's required relocations policy was undertaken and on 18 October 2023, a voluntary tenant relocation approach was implemented for the remainder of the program."
The ACT Council of Social Service and ACT Shelter has previously called on the next government to commit to increasing the proportion of social housing stock after a decades-long decline, saying it was one of the "greatest policy failures in our community's history".
The groups want a commitment for social housing to be at least 10 per cent of all housing stock by 2036.
