ACT government denies giving public housing tenants 48 hours to dispute relocation

"It's really unacceptable that they're given less than 48 hours to prepare their case for this one chance to try and get an exemption," ACTCOSS chief executive Emma Campbell said.

There are approximately 337 public households across Canberra facing relocation as part of the ACT's Growing and Renewing Public Housing Program, which will see some properties renewed or sold.

ACT Housing and Housing Minister Yvette Berry have denied that Thursday's meetings, along with upcoming meetings, are formal, one-off hearings, but documents provided to tenants do not make that clear.

"Ten tenants who applied for an exemption to relocation early in the process were yesterday offered an opportunity to meet with the Tenant Relocation Exemption Panel at the first available opportunity, which is later this week," Minister Berry said in a statement.

"However, these meetings will be ongoing and no-one needs to attend a meeting this week if they don't want to."

A Housing ACT spokesperson said "these meetings are just an opportunity for tenants, and any support people they'd like to bring, to attend a meeting to discuss their needs and reasons for seeking an exemption to relocation to support their application if they wish to".

Minister Berry hit out at ACTCOSS, saying a media release from the organisation was disappointing and "may cause unnecessary distress to Housing ACT tenants".

A fact sheet provided to tenants and seen by The Canberra Times does not explicitly state that upcoming panel sessions would be informal and ongoing, advising tenants only that their application would be considered by the Tenant Relocation Exemption Panel.

"The panel is made up of representatives from community service organisations and Housing ACT," the sheet states.

"You can request to attend the panel or nominate a representative to attend on your behalf when your application for exemption will be considered. Attendance at the panel is optional."

It states that the decision of the panel cannot be appealed.

Dr Campbell said information provided to tenants was "at odds" with the comments from Housing ACT and Minister Berry.

"Minister Berry has presented these meetings as informal and ongoing. Even if they were, 48 hours is insufficient to organise representation and support for vulnerable tenants who are up against Housing ACT."

Public housing tenant Yvette Van Loo didn't receive any documents at all - a voicemail message was left on her phone on Tuesday afternoon notifying her of a Thursday hearing at 11.30am.

The voicemail, which Ms Van Loo did not hear until Tuesday night, advised that her application for an exemption would be heard on Thursday, and asked whether she would like to attend in-person or over the phone.

Ms Van Loo was able to defer her appearance before the panel.

"They are actually ruining my life," the 74-year-old Ms Van Loo said of Housing ACT's attempt to relocate her from her home of 40 years.

"It's just totally ruined for me because I can't concentrate on anything, I can't sleep at night, I can't eat.

"It's just hell, as simple as this."

"Many of these tenants are older, most of them are women, some are living in houses that have been adapted to meet their specific disability or needs," Dr Campbell said. "Many of them live in communities that they rely on for support, important networks.

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"These are really important issues that they need to bring to this panel, but it takes time to collect that evidence and put it together to present."

Three of the ten tenants due to appear Thursday deferred, while three requested not to attend.

Canberra Community Law chief executive Genevieve Bolton said the organisation, which is one of the main bodies providing legal assistance to tenants, had also only been notified of the hearings on Tuesday.

Ms Bolton also said the criteria provided by Housing ACT for assessing exemptions has previously been "quite general", but information provided on Tuesday concerned the organisation.

"The information that we were provided with on Tuesday indicated that there has been a tightening of that criteria, and so some of the language that's now being used is that a tenant needs to demonstrate exceptional circumstances or alternatively, they need to be able to show that if they were forced to relocate that result in significant harm in terms of their general, physical, mental health and general health and wellbeing."

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