ACT Budget 2020-21: COVID-19 hardship fund reduced as homeless services boosted

The aim of the fund was to prevent Canberrans from choosing between going to work or complying with health directions, one of the key factors driving Melbourne's deadly second wave.

The ACT government initially allocated $1.25 million towards the fund to provide payments of up to $1500 to people who were ineligible for other forms of support.

The 2020-21 ACT budget has revised this now to $750,000 which is expected to be enough to address all applications to June 30, 2021 including if there was a surge of COVID-19 cases.

The measure was put in place to prevent one of the drivers of Melbourne's second wave where those in insecure work were forced to choose between earning an income and complying with a health order.

MORE BUDGET NEWS:

All Canberrans will benefit from a freeze on fees and charges at pre-pandemic levels, including car registration, driver licence fees and Transport Canberra fares.

Emergency housing providers coping with increased demand during the pandemic have some funding certainty.

Mackillop House for women and Winter Lodge for men and the Axial Housing First program will share in almost $1.2 million in grant funding, with the majority of funding to flow in 2021-22.

Homelessness service provider Early Morning Centre will start opening on weekends with $300,000 in funding and $450,000 will go towards OneLink emergency accommodation.

The budget allocates $105 million over four years for public housing infrastructure.

Included in this is $52 million for public housing growth and renewal, $11.6 million to start construction on the second Common Ground in Dickson and $11.4 million over four years for general property and energy efficiency upgrades.