Housing as a human right is supported by Labor, Liberal and Greens MLAs. Photo: ACT Government.
A Legislative Assembly Committee has recommended the government makes housing a human right in Canberra, but not for 12 months.
The Standing Committee on Legal Affairs voted unanimously to back a bill proposed by the Greens late in 2024, making five recommendations to the government. The recommendations were:
- Pass the Human Rights (Housing) Amendments bill
- Consider the impact on ACT Housing
- Amend the layout of the new subsection
- Consult with stakeholders
- Delay the commencement of the proposed new right by 12 months.
The bill proposed by the Greens would amend the 2004 Human Rights Act to include a section on housing to come into effect 1 January 2026. The committee has recommended pushing that back to 2027 to seek stakeholder feedback.
“The implementation of the proposed new right in consultation with key stakeholders of the community is likely to require more time prior to commencement,” the report said.
“While it is acknowledged that there are already various initiatives in place in the ACT that will contribute to satisfying the proposed right, more arrangements are required to be put in place for it to work effectively.”
Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury praised the report’s recommendations and described it as a “momentous step”.
“Talk about this proposal has been going on in Canberra for well over a decade and now, the Greens Bill to enshrine housing as a fundamental human right is a real pathway towards making it happen,” he said.
“A tri-partisan committee has now recommended to the government that they pass this Bill based on the evidence of countless experts, from everyday Canberrans to stakeholders working with vulnerable Canberrans.”
The inquiry received 26 submissions during its inquiry, almost all in favour of the change. However, several raised questions about how it would be implemented.
The Salvation Army said a range of issues were not addressed in the bill, including definitions, enforceability, benchmarking, funding and scope.
The Housing Industry Association said it did not oppose the bill and called for a cost-benefit analysis to consider impacts.
Better Renting said the government should develop a detailed plan on how the provisions would be implemented in consultation with renters.
Mr Rattenbury said the change was backed by the community and needed to be implemented sooner rather than later.
“For people currently being disproportionately impacted by the housing crisis, be they First Nations, people with disability, children at risk of harm, victim-survivors of domestic violence or otherwise – this reform couldn’t come soon enough,” he said.
“This legislation will require this government and all future governments, to take concrete actions towards treating housing as a human right – meaning we shouldn’t just get lip service about affordable and accessible housing, but actual action to address the issue.”
Attorney-General Tara Cheyne welcomed the report but said the government would continue to consider its position on the bill.
The government now has four months to respond.
The final report can be found on the Legislative Assembly website
