The Canberra Liberals  are promising to deliver an additional 2000 social and affordable dwellings for Canberrans in need through continued  public housing growth and renewal, more community housing properties, affordable  housing for “key workers” and incentivising investment in community housing. 

Leader Elizabeth Lee says a Canberra Liberals government after October 19 will: 

• contribute 100 residential land lots for mixed used housing per year, for four years  to community housing providers on a shared equity basis; 
• commence a pilot program to set aside residential dwellings exclusively for rental  and purchase by key workers such as nurses and teachers;
• Incentivise development on community zoned land to encourage development of  more affordable housing;
• offer land to community housing providers on a 25-year peppercorn lease, to allow  them to develop more affordable properties;
• provide additional $5 million to immediately address the most urgent maintenance issues in ACT public housing;  
• commit 10 per cent of all new developments being reserved for social housing; 

Lee said the policies focused on enabling the community housing sector to play a bigger role in the provision of social and affordable dwellings and significantly enhance their ability to access funding through the Housing Australia Future  Fund. 

“Canberra’s public housing supply has fallen behind the rate of of population growth and we have a shortfall of social housing dwellings and affordable rentals,” she said.

“Boosting supply is critical in solving the housing crisis and the community housing sector is well placed to step up and fill the gap. 

“Working with community housing providers and supplying them with suitable land, with no upfront costs, means they only have to fund the construction costs of the property, making  it an attractive option.”