Chief Minister Andrew Barr has joined community advocates calling for measured debate about the ACT government's strategy for placing new public housing developments around Canberra's suburbs.
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About 200 Gungahlin residents this week strongly opposed plans for a new 14-unit public housing development in Nicholls, but the government won't reconsider the long-standing "salt and pepper" approach of spreading public housing throughout the city.
As planning continues for 1300 new residences by 2020, Mr Barr rejected some comments from public submissions received from Nicholls residents, saying they feared negative impacts from drug use, crime and a drain on local infrastructure.
Some residents linked the problems of anti-social behaviour and crime to public housing tenants living on Northbourne Avenue and around the city.
Mr Barr said planning for relocation of tenants should be free of stigma.
"I understand some people don't like public housing, some people do. We're moving ahead with our urban renewal agenda. It's important for public housing, it's important for public housing tenants, that some people don't like is a fact of life," he said on Wednesday.
"I'm not going to be able to change some people's minds, I acknowledge that."
Mr Barr rejected suggestions that public housing tenants brought increased risk of crime, drug use and other social problems to local areas. Nicholls already has some public housing.
"I don't think that is a fair comment. Certainly I don't think it applies in the case of elderly residents and people with a disability, which is the context of this particular development," Mr Barr said.
"Frankly the stigmatisation of public housing tenants is very unfortunate and we will continue on with our program."
The Nicholls project has been modified down from 16 to 14 units with construction planned from late 2015.
ACT Shelter and Tenants Union ACT board member Penny Leemhuis has written to Housing Minister Yvette Berry proposing current residents share their experiences to members of the Nicholls community concerned about the plan.
"I'm proposing that I attend a meeting with her as a representative of the ordinary person to address the stigma that is attached to public housing," she said.
"That way, people who have these very binary views may come to realise that we are all just people. I do believe that it is critical that those issues are addressed effectively soon because otherwise the people who move into the 14 units will face prejudice that is unwarranted."
Ms Leemhuis welcomed Mr Barr's comments, which come after the ACT Council of Social Service, Youth Coalition of the ACT and Advocacy for Inclusion all called for a measured debate.
"Having members of community who have lived the experience of living in public housing will be essential to breaking down these barriers," she said.
"Based on my past experience, if we work together to promote difference, then people can be heard."
The government plans a "roof for roof" relocation of residents living in the Northbourne Avenue public housing precinct, the Allawah, Bega and Currong flats in the city, and estates in Griffith, Woden and Red Hill.
Sales of some of Canberra's run-down public housing properties are also planned.
