Several large public housing sites across Canberra could be sold off under the ACT government's second-tranche redevelopment of another 1000 public housing dwellings, potentially including the Kanangra Court flats and Ainslie Village.
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Others could be redeveloped along similar lines to two sites in Gungahlin.
While Housing Minister Yvette Berry has released scant detail of how the next stage of the public housing renewal program will work, it will likely see some large sites sold off, while contracts could be used to ensure a certain number of affordable dwellings on redeveloped sites.
Beyond the government's existing redevelopment program of 1288 public housing flats, the new program is set to cost up to $100 million, but the government aims to recoup the costs of this tranche through sales of existing public housing sites.
While the government has not made any decisions yet on which specific sites would be sold off, it still has 13 large blocks of land with between 51 and 100 dwellings each, that have not been redeveloped, representing lucrative sales to help fund the rest of the next program.
A further 32 sites housing with between 21 and 50 dwellings, and 88 sites with 10 to 20 dwellings could also be partly or fully sold to developers, with either the government building public, affordable or community housing on the land; or drawing up contracts to ensure developers do likewise.
It is understood among the 45 largest sites are Kanangra Court in Reid and Ainslie Village, though the government would not identify any specific sites that could be tagged for full or part sale or redevelopment.
The long-term future of Ainslie Village has been uncertain since 2016, when the government commissioned a review of the site including potential relocation of residents, while the contract for management of the site ends in June next year. The village provides cheap accommodation for up to 172 people with drug and alcohol, mental health and other complex problems. The government says the model is outdated.
Kanangra Court is made up of 118 bachelor flats in seven three-story buildings on a prime real estate site on the corner of Ainslie Avenue and Limestone Avenue. The ACT Heritage Council in 2015 rejected listing the flats as a heritage site.
The government has already sold off the bulk of its largest public housing sites, particularly those large blocks along the light rail route on Northbourne Avenue, as part of the first public housing renewal program.
It also maintains 6054 single dwelling sites that were not included as part of the original program, some of which could be knocked down and replaced with dual occupancy dwellings as part of the new program.
In November, Ms Berry told an Assembly committee hearing the new program would be designed would include some "mixed" properties, where the block is redeveloped to include both homes for private sale, as well as affordable, community or public housing.
But she said the detailed planning work had not yet been done, suggesting more details will emerge next year as the government looks to start implementing the next redevelopment stage after July, which will amount to about 10 per cent of the ACT's public housing stock.
When Opposition Liberals housing spokesman Mark Parton asked hypothetically about potential mixed developments on Ainslie Avenue, Chief Planner Ben Ponton said the redevelopment could involve building, say, 100 dwellings on the site, 80 which were sold privately and 20 retained as public housing.
"It is not just about the land. It may be that there is an opportunity for the land to be redeveloped," Mr Ponton said.
"There is an opportunity, being a larger site, that you might then provide opportunities to sell to the private sector.
"But then that is reinvested in actual apartments or homes, and that is then reinvested into public housing, and that could be on the same site and same locality."
While the government has been quiet about exactly how the new renewal program will be rolled out, some blocks could also be subdivided, with part blocks used for public, affordable or community housing, with the remainder sold to private developers.
A spokeswoman for Ms Berry said the specific sites chosen for redevelopment would be considered as part of a detailed program design, and the five-year plan would start once the current program is finished in July next year.
She said Housing ACT would be working with tenants and stakeholders over the coming months and years to identify a range of properties for redevelopment.
Ms Berry's spokeswoman said sites would be chosen based on a range of factors including location, the needs of tenants, maintenance costs, property characteristics and condition and the existing levels of social housing in specific areas.
