THE ACT Council of Social Services does not seem to share the ACT Government’s enthusiasm for a tram to Gungahlin and property development down to the Lake.

“In response to the 2015-2016 ACT Budget Consultation the ACT community sector have identified affordable housing and homelessness as the major policy issues needing long term planning and investment by the ACT Government,” a spokesperson said.

“Research commissioned in 2013 by the ACT Anti-Poverty Week Steering Committee and undertaken by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling found that the ACT has the highest average rents in the country and that, according to 2011 data the ACT had the second highest rate of homelessness of all Australian States and Territories.”

“Put simply, without adequate investment in affordable housing and reducing homelessness we do not believe that the government will be able to deliver on its stated priorities for health, education, equitable growth, liveability and opportunity,” Susan Helyar, Director of the ACT Council of Social Service, said.

“The prevention of homelessness is a whole-of-government responsibility requiring collaboration between the economic policy levers that create jobs, ensure adequate income when people are not in paid work, provide affordable housing and enable access to a range of social supports, including services that help people to access jobs.”

Recommendations in the ACTCOSS Budget Submission focus on:

• Preventing homelessness
• Increasing housing market responses to housing needs
• Improving service responses to people who are homeless
• Developing a long term plan to increase affordable housing and reduce homelessness