The number of Canberra households living in a public housing dwelling has fallen back to levels experienced in 2009, despite an overall rise in the number of public housing dwellings available.
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The latest Productivity Commission report on government services, released today, shows the number of households living in such dwellings has fallen steadily since a peak of 10,793 in 2012 down to 10,621 in 2017-18.
That was only one more household actually living in the government owned and run dwellings in the ACT than the 10,620 figure reported in 2009 - and came despite the pool of available dwellings growing 10,789 in 2009 to 11,181 last year.
While the territory government has grown the total public housing dwellings available by 398 over the decade, in contrast to a nation-wide fall of about 20,000 in that time, it still has one of the nation's highest public housing 'under-utilisation rates or 17 per cent.
The report also shows the territory government had to the highest rate of public dwellings allocated to those in the greatest need of any jurisdiction, at 99.4 per cent.
But with waiting times regularly more than 1000 days for most lower-priority candidates on the waiting list, the report shows of all the hundreds of households in lower-order categories on the list, none secured a dwelling in less than 12 months.
For those waiting between one and two years for a dwelling, 98.7 per cent went to those facing the most dire personal circumstances in 2017-18 and of those left waiting more than two years, just 0.6 per cent actually secured a house.
In contrast, the proportion of the territory's community housing sector allocations to those in greatest need have fallen from 99.5 in 2015-16 down to 83.2 in 2017-18; possibly recognising few but those in greatest were getting a public home.
The report also showed that despite the government's public housing renewal program re-developing 1288 public dwellings into more modern and efficient homes, the tenants in the ACT reported the lowest level of "amenity" meeting their needs.
It showed 74.4 per cent of tenants with disability rated amenity as important and meeting their needs last year, a figure which rose to 79.4 per cent for all public housing tenants - both the lowest of all jurisdictions.
That compared to 81.6 per cent of tenants with a disability in the territory's community housing sector reporting amenity that met their needs, rising to 83.2 per cent for all community housing tenants, both above or within0.6 per cent of the national average.
The report also showed the number of Canberrans experiencing homelessness had fallen from 48.7 per 10,000 residents in 2011 to 40.2 in 2016, meaning reported homelessness in the territory was now the fourth-lowest of all jurisdictions.
Of the 3026 people struggling with homelessness and in search of accommodation, 1030 were not able to secure accommodation through the territory government's referrals system.
That meant some 34 per cent of those seeking accommodation were unable to secure it, above the national average for un-met accommodation need of 32.7 per cent, broadly consistent with trends in the past five years.
But it also found the needs of many people experiencing homelessness and struggling with more complex personal issues were not being fully met.
Of the 2636 people who sought help for homelessness, 310 people also sought help for mental health issues in the ACT, 45 per cent of whom were not provided help or referred to a provider.
On the same measure, some 130 homelessness clients also sought help for a drug and alcohol problem, 63.1 per cent of whom were not referred to, or provided, a service; and of the 424 clients facing domestic violence in the territory, 21.9 were also not referred or provided a service.
Housing Minister Yvette Berry said the ACT had the strongest result nationally in providing housing for those who needed it most, and the latest national public housing tenant survey had shown Canberra tenants had high satisfaction rates.
“The ACT government is also delivering benefits through the renewal program to improve better energy efficiency, water efficiency and thermal comfort as well as helping tenants feel safer in their neighbourhood,” she said.
