Housing advocates welcome ACT government's $3 million homeless funding but want solutions beyond COVID-19

ACT Shelter chief executive Travis Gilbert said following the announcement on Monday he was largely supportive of the measures.

"We are pleased to see housing and homelessness included in the economic survival and stimulus measures," he said.

"We certainly welcome the clear priority focus on access to permanent supported housing.

"What we're keen is people stay housed after the pandemic emergency is over as well as temporary accommodation that we called for."

Havelock Housing Association chief executive Andrew Rowe shared the sentiment but said the government should look ahead beyond the COVID-19 crisis.

"It would be good for them to start thinking about the medium and longer term, we are going to have a significantly worsening housing situation in the coming months so we need to start thinking and moving and preparing now for that," he said.

The ACT government had previously been criticised for not including any significant funding in the first two stages of its economic COVID-19 stimulus packages.

Housing Minister Yvette Berry and Minister for Community Services and Facilities Suzanne Orr announced on Monday six support services would receive a funding boost with more eligible to access a $1 million fund.

"The ACT Government has been working with these specialist service providers to understand how we can help them to continue operations during the pandemic, including through assisting staff to work remotely and adapt face to face services," Ms Berry said.

"The government is providing significant extra funding to increase the available temporary accommodation, expand service capacity to house rough sleepers and enable services to meet increased need from the Canberra community."

Services have said they would use the money to lift and expand capacity following a surge in demand since the start of the pandemic.

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Homelessness support service, OneLink will receive $330,000 for client support and would also receive $150,000 to increase capacity to coordinate referrals for temporary accommodation, such as in hotels.

OneLink had received an increased demand from new clients, Woden Community Service chief executive Jenny Kitchin said. Woden Community Service is the OneLink provider.

"This additional funding will enable OneLink to support an increasing number of new clients with greater accommodation options," she said.

"We will be able to provide thorough assessments and collaborate with other service providers to ensure peoples' needs are met."

The government would also spend $100,000 to fast track its Housing First pilot program. The Axial Housing program provides housing to people housing to people without the conditions that might otherwise prohibit a tenancy - such as sobriety or income.

The program is managed by CatholicCare, and in the past two weeks the pilot had housed six rough sleepers, CatholicCare Canberra and Goulburn chief executive Anne Kirwan said.

When the pilot was announced it was intended for 20 people but this target had been increased to more than 30.

"The original pilot was only looking at people with severe and complex support needs and what we're now is just broadening the scope to say anyone who is a rough sleeper," Ms Kirwan said.

The Domestic Violence Crisis Support Service will receive $350,000.

Domestic Violence Crisis Support Service chief executive Sonia Di Mezza said the money would help as the service had lost money from not being able to host fundraisers.

"This additional funding will help us to continue to support clients during these changing times and adapt to their changing needs," she said.

"Especially given we have had to postpone or cancel many fundraising events that we rely on so heavily to maintain our regular service and provide emergency accommodation."

It is unclear if the funding would aim to house every rough sleeper in Canberra.

The ACT Greens wanted a commitment from the ACT government that every rough sleeper in Canberra would be housed during the pandemic.

"We all need a safe and secure place to live. It's not acceptable that in a community as prosperous as ours, there should be any Canberrans sleeping rough or experiencing homelessness - especially during a time of crisis, as we're experiencing with COVID," Community sector advocate and Greens candidate Rebecca Vassarotti said.

"Those experiencing homelessness are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus. It's completely inconsistent to be telling people to stay inside to prevent the spread of the disease when not everyone has a house to isolate in.

"The last thing we want is for some of our most vulnerable community members to contract COVID-19."

Mr Gilbert told the Sunday Canberra Times there were 65 rough sleepers in Canberra but said he had since been informed this number was out-of-date.

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