Any decision about the future of Ainslie Village is still years away, Housing ACT executive director Louise Gilding said on Friday.
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Ms Gilding was speaking after Chief Minister Andrew Barr last week confirmed the social housing site in Campbell was under review.
Ms Gilding said a study was under way looking generally at social housing needs for tenants with "complex needs", which included Ainslie Village residents but was not confined only to them.
"We will talk to Ainslie Village residents to make sure they feel supported and listened to and safe and secure so we can provide them with stable accommodation that meets their needs," she said.
Ms Gilding said the report's findings would be presented to the government soon, and there were "no immediate plans to sell or redevelop [the] Ainslie Village site".
"But we will look at how Ainslie Village is meeting the needs of the residents and this study will help us understand what we need to do," she said.
Ms Gilding confirmed a decision about the future of Ainslie Village was still years away.
"Yes, absolutely," she said.
A for how many years that might be?
"How long is a piece of string? I don't know how long conversations are going to take. We do know the longer it takes, the more that infrastructure deteriorates," she said.
Ms Gilding said all contracts for specialist homeless accommodation providers were due for renewal, including that now held by Argyle Housing, which runs Ainslie Village.
"We need to have further conversations with all our providers, including Argyle, about what happens with their contracts. It's a normal part of what we do," she said.
"That said, Argyle has been working very closely with the folk at Ainslie Village to create community, create a sense of belonging and ensure their safety. Argyle is doing a great job."
Ms Gilding said she wanted to assure Ainslie Village residents that they would be heard.
"The first thing I would want to say to the residents of Ainslie Village is that over the years they have built a significant sense of community, and that's first and foremost, and that needs to be maintained," she said.
"What we also know, and what they tell us, is those buildings are old. Buildings do come to the end of their useful life. We're not there yet with Ainslie Village, but we do need to have an eye to the future.
"Those decisions have not been made. We need to take all these factors into consideration and not forget that we are dealing with people's homes."
