Liberals say poverty commission should investigate rental affordability

But the ACT Labor government has reiterated calls to make the doubled JobSeeker rate permanent.

Analysis from Anglicare found only one rental in Canberra is affordable for a person on the doubled JobSeeker rate of $1100 a fortnight. Once the rate is reduced to $800 on September 25, there will be none.

ACT Opposition Leader Alistair Coe said the Anglicare report showed why rental affordability in the territory needed to be investigated.

Mr Coe revealed on Sunday the Liberals would establish a commission to examine the issue of poverty in Canberra if they won the October election.

"Anglicare's housing affordability statement shows there are so few properties available in the ACT for people on low incomes," he said.

"Housing stress is a significant contributor to poverty in the ACT and unfortunately it's only getting worse under ACT Labor."

But ACT Housing Minister Yvette Berry called on the federal government to make the increased JobSeeker rate permanent.

"The latest [Anglicare] report shows that obtaining affordable rental housing is a challenge across Australia," she said.

"I urge the federal government to continue, and make permanent, the increased payments for JobSeeker.

"The pandemic has demonstrated that $40 a day is not enough for someone to live off and I join the community calls for the federal government to take action."

The ACT Greens also weighed in. Greens campaign housing spokeswoman Rebecca Vassarotti said the report reinforced the need to increase investment in social and affordable housing.

"The latest figures from Anglicare's rental affordability snapshot highlight with devastating clarity just how difficult - and in most cases impossible - it is for people on low and moderate incomes to find affordable rental housing," she said.

The Greens have pledged $450 million as part of their re-election pitch to the construction of 1000 public and community housing dwellings in the territory.

The pledge came as Ms Berry said construction on an affordable rental project in Dickson would start in about eight weeks. It is expected to be completed in 2021.

Under the Common Ground model, half the units will be used to house people experiencing homelessness and the rest will be used as affordable rentals. Ms Berry pointed to the project as part of the government's response to addressing rental affordability.

"This has been a difficult year for everyone, so [we are] making sure we continue to employ people, engage people in work and get people into homes of their own or affordable rentals," Ms Berry said.

"[Common Ground] is an example of where we have prioritised public housing and affordable rentals to make sure this project gets off the ground as soon as possible."

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Local building company Richard Crookes was chosen for the Dickson project, and the announcement was marked by a sod turning at the site on Tuesday.

However, Ms Berry was taken to task at the ceremony when a resident, who happened to be walking past, questioned the Housing Minister on a lack of community outreach on the project.

Eva Culek said she was dismayed no residents had been informed of the sod turning ceremony, and while she supported social housing she said government communication had been poor.

Ms Berry replied there had been lots of community engagement and the project had been spoken about for the past four years.

Ms Culek told The Canberra Times she was not aware the project had been approved.

"I'm here today because I was walking past ... and I could see a gathering and I thought I should find out what's happening," she said.

Planning Minister Mick Gentleman used his controversial "call-in" powers to approve the project. It will mean it can bypass normal planning processes.