Labor backbencher Yvette Berry is pushing the ACT government to retain public housing in Northbourne Avenue, fearing redevelopment of the corridor will turn it into a zone of “posh” apartments for the rich.
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Ms Berry has asked a series of question on public housing in the assembly’s estimates hearings, pushing for more detail on Housing Minister Shane Rattenbury’s plans for the 472 tenants who live in the Northbourne corridor.
The government is redeveloping the housing blocks on Northbourne, with the first, the Dickson Towers, cleared from June 16, and Mr Rattenbury saying he plans to move 70 to 80 tenants a year.
The so-called ABC flats, home to 381 tenants in Cooyong Street, are also being redeveloped.
Ms Berry said she understood the moves from Northbourne would be gradual and she did not want to frighten tenants, but she was determined not to see them “pushed out of the city”.
The flats were people’s homes, not simply housing stock that could be replaced “roof for roof”, she said, urging the government to keep the “salt and pepper” approach, where tenants are spread throughout suburbs.
Ms Berry said she had been told about a third of the tenants wanted to live in Gungahlin or Belconnen, and a third in Tuggeranong, but the remaining third wanted to stay in the city.
“They should be allowed to stay; I think it’s a responsibility for all of us,” she said. "I think many years ago people remember when we weren’t as good with the salt and peppering and there were pockets of disadvantage created as a result of that. We don’t want that to happen again.”
She asked officials whether there would be enough housing in the city for those who needed it.
Executive housing director Bronwen Overton-Clarke said it was better to talk about the support offered to tenants rather than the location of their homes.
The government was looking to site new homes within 800 metres or one kilometre of the new tram line or bus routes, she said.
Mr Rattenbury said the government did not plan to move all tenants at once, and would deal with them “individually rather than some mass approach”.
He said he had made a solid commitment for “a roof-for-roof replacement for any housing properties redeveloped”. There might even a “modest increase”, although he made “no great promises in that space”.
There would be options in the city for people who did not want to move to the suburbs, he said, confirming the government would continue to salt and pepper housing in north Canberra, and continue the “great tradition” of social housing even in some of the most desirable parts of the city.
The new housing would be more suitable and comfortable, with fewer one-bedroom units and bedsits, and would not include big multi-unit developments but would rather have a dozen or 15 units together.
Ms Berry said she did not like the term “roof-for-roof replacements”.
“I know it’s just a technical description, but that’s the thing that frightens people,” she said.
She said Canberra should be the kind of city that was proud of “giving people a hand up when they need it”.
Mr Rattenbury said he was frustrated at the media’s determination to write stories about public housing before decisions had been made, which was making tenants nervous. “They’re concerned, they're saying that they’re not hearing from government but they’re reading stuff in the papers.”
There were 2500 people on the waiting list for public housing, and another 8000 households sitting just above the eligibility level and struggling.
Mr Rattenbury said he would like to find ways to help those people, but no one had strong answers other than spending billions on more public housing.
