ACT government delivers 20 new public housing homes in Canberra’s Inner North

The ACT government has unveiled 20 new homes in Dickson for people most in need, as part of its Growing and Renewing Public Housing Program.

The new public housing units, dubbed Turretfield, feature a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments and replaces four duplexes that were built on Lowrie Street in the 1960s.

“[The duplexes] were expensive to maintain and run and had reached the end of their useful life,” said ACT minister for housing and suburban development Yvette Berry.

“Now, we have a development that is providing 20 homes that are modern, high quality and energy-efficient for tenants into the future.”

Each unit was built to a minimum “Gold Class” liveable standard which ensures units have all the key structural and spatial elements to better meet the needs of tenants, regardless of their abilities and circumstances.

Some of these elements include: having at least one, step-free entrance into the dwelling; easy-to-reach light and powerpoint switches; and a kitchen and laundry designed to support ease of movement.

The approach allows Housing ACT’s occupational therapists to make design modifications if needed in the future.

Now in its second year, the program aims to deliver 1200 new homes – including an additional 200 homes to increase the public housing portfolio – and renew more than 1000 older homes to improve the quality of life for tenants by 2024. 

The first tenants have already moved into Turrutfield, including local artist Novy Forcadas.

Ms Forcadas wanted to downsize after all her children left the nest, remain within the same suburb and still be able to garden at her new home.

“I really love gardening,” she said, but her garden had gotten out of control and wild over 20 years. “[At Turretfield] we don’t have to [manage a] whole forest anymore. A little forest will do.

“I have plans to grow lots of fresh produce with my neighbours in the communal garden… I feel like there’s a sense of community already being formed.”

Public housing has been a feature of Canberra’s Inner North landscape for a long time and the latest development forms part of the government’s diverse city, Ms Berry said.

“Canberrans are inclusive people and I’m sure these tenants will be welcomed to the neighbourhood as they move into this beautiful new property,” she added.