Public housing residents across the Australian Capital Territory are living in hazardous conditions as maintenance contractors tell them there's no money available for essential repairs, despite government assurances that funding remains intact.
Legal Service Reports Alarming Trend
Canberra Community Law has experienced what executive director Genevieve Bolton describes as a "very concerning increase" in public housing tenants seeking legal assistance for repair and maintenance issues. The community law firm reports that residents are being directly informed by maintenance contractors that funding for repairs has been exhausted.
"Housing ACT tenants are being told by maintenance contractors that they have no money to do the work," Ms Bolton confirmed. She noted that tenants are experiencing extended delays for even urgent repairs, including securing broken doors, fixing hot water systems, addressing water damage and leaks, and repairing cracked tiles in kitchens, laundries, and bathrooms.
Residents Suffering Physical Harm
The situation has escalated to the point where multiple Housing ACT tenants have required medical attention due to unresolved repair issues. "Several Housing ACT tenants have been in contact with us over the last three months or so, advising that they or their family members have sustained injuries and required medical attention due to urgent repair issues not being dealt with," Ms Bolton revealed.
Despite legal obligations under Residential Tenancies legislation requiring urgent repairs to be completed "as soon as possible" and non-urgent repairs within four weeks, Housing ACT is failing to provide specific timeframes for completion. Instead, the agency sends tenants letters acknowledging repair needs without committing to action dates.
Conflicting Accounts and Figures
The ACT government maintains that $51.76 million has been allocated for public housing repairs and maintenance in the 2025-26 financial year. A government spokesperson confirmed that funding "remains in place" and Programmed AU, the maintenance contractor, "has not run out of funding for this financial year." Expenditure as of September 30, 2025, was reported as $9,872,731.82.
However, significant discrepancies exist in reported figures. Housing ACT claims more than 50,000 maintenance jobs are responded to annually, while Programmed AU states it handles approximately 45,000 jobs each year - a difference of more than 5,000 maintenance requests.
ACT opposition housing spokesperson Chiaka Barry echoed residents' concerns, stating public housing tenants have reported identical messages from maintenance contractors about unavailable funds. "[Labor] can't manage money, they have blown the budget, and these properties are sub-standard," she said.
Recent reporting from The Canberra Times confirms systemic problems within the public housing maintenance system, with tenants waiting months for simple repairs, being required to provide doctors' notes, and making daily calls to secure tradesperson visits.
The situation has prompted increased scrutiny of the ACT's public housing management as the government prepares to bring all repairs and maintenance in-house when Programmed AU's contract concludes in 2027.
