How much money the ACT govt has made from selling public housing

Figures revealed in an answer to a question on notice reveal the government has received $1.1 billion from the sales of public housing properties since 2011-12.

Over the same period the government has spent just over $990 million on new properties, with this figure including the purchase of land, construction costs and selling expenses.

The government's growth and renewal program aims to renew 1000 and add 400 new public housing properties in the capital.

Housing Minister Yvette Berry said 475 homes had been built and a further 577 were under construction or in design works since the program started five years ago.

The government only has another two years to complete the 1400 properties. The program was initially due to be completed by the 2025-26 year but has been pushed out another year to 2026-27.

About 165 homes have also been bought as part of the renewal program.

But the number of public housing properties in the territory is lower than what it was in 2012. The same answer showed there were 11,848 properties in 2012, compared to 11,612 in 2023.

There are fewer detached houses with 6385 in 2012, compared with 5906 in 2023. There were also 96 fewer units. But there are more townhouses, with 1411 in 2023 - an increase of nearly 340 on 2012.

Ms Berry is set to open new public housing units in west Belconnen on Tuesday morning. The nine properties, in Macgregor, have recently completed construction and will welcome tenants shortly.

"The homes in this development add to the category of public housing in highest demand, with approximately 80 per cent of all housing applicants able to be housing in two-bedroom dwellings," she said.

"These new homes are complete with Class C adaptable features, which make them ideal for people with different mobility and accessibility needs and supports tenants to age in place."

Ms Berry also opened 30 new public housing properties in Tuggeranong last week.

She said: "It's important to us that public housing doesn't present further barriers for the people who need it."

ACT Council of Social Service chief executive Devin Bowles and ACT Shelter chief executive Travis Gilbert wrote in an opinion piece in The Canberra Times all parties should commit to a "decisive overhaul" of the government's approach to housing.

The pair have described the five-year waiting period for a public housing property as "appalling" and say a "game-changing expansion of public and community housing is required for those who need it most".

"The ACT government's policy settings, amplified by their federal counterparts, has been to treat housing as a financial asset rather than one of life's essentials that all Canberrans should be able to access," they wrote.

"This is seen in the government selling off much of its housing stock, and the transition of the government being a provider or housing to low- and middle-incomes Canberrans to a landlord of last resort.

"Increasingly, government has relied on the market to meet the housing needs of Canberrans, but it is time to recognise that the market is not up to this task."