An ACT Government Website

In the ACT we have:

  • public housing
  • community housing
  • affordable housing.

We invest in this housing to help more people rent or buy a home in Canberra.

We publish updated numbers for these properties in the ACT every 6 months.

Number of these properties in the ACT

Housing type20/2121/2222/2323/2424/25
Public Housing Properties 10,853 10,723 10,795 10,910 11,078
Community Housing Managed Properties (Housing ACT owned) 742 798817 821795
Community Housing Managed Properties (non-Housing ACT owned) 8339019881,147 1,181
Affordable Rental Office dwellings 67 69 70 69 70
Totals12,49512,49712,67012,94713,124

Affordable Community Housing Land Tax Exemption Scheme

Housing type20/2121/2222/2323/24 24/25 Dec 25
Affordable Community Housing Land Tax
Exemption Scheme properties
51^ 86^ 129^ 176^ 263^ 267* 

About this data

^ Quarter 4 data is used to calculate the number of properties participating in the Affordable Community Housing Land Tax Exemption Scheme in this Financial Year.

* Quarter 2 data is used to calculate the number of properties in the Affordable Community Housing Land Tax Exemption Scheme.

The information presented in this dataset reflects the status of properties and reports provided by participating providers at the time of publication. Estimates may be revised over time as more updated information becomes available.

Housing to come from government programs

ProgramTotal remaining in pipeline
Growing and Renewing Public Housing341
Affordable Housing Project Fund800
Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) Round 285
Affordable Community Housing Land Tax Exemption Schemeup to 733*
Social Housing Accelerator Program (SHAP)41

* The Affordable Community Housing Land Tax Exemption Scheme is capped at a maximum of 1000. Up to 733 dwellings may be delivered but this number is not guaranteed.

Definitions of different housing options

Social housing

An umbrella term which refers to rental accommodation where the rent is set at a sub-market rate, usually as a proportion of the tenant’s income. It includes most public housing and some community housing

Public housing

Housing which is owned by the ACT Government and operated by the Commissioner for Social Housing through the ACT Government’s public housing authority, Housing ACT. Public housing offers rental accommodation for people on low incomes. Everyone living in public housing pays rent and, for most, rent is rebated to 25% of household income.

Community housing

Housing that is managed, or owned and managed, by Community Housing Providers. Community housing may be managed in a range of ways including as social housing (based on tenant income) or affordable rental housing (based on market rent). Community Housing Providers can be registered as part of the National Regulatory System for Community Housing (NRSCH).

Affordable housing

Housing that is affordable for low-to-moderate income households without spending more than 30 per cent of their income on housing costs (including mortgage repayments or rents). It includes affordable home ownership and affordable rental.

Affordable rental

Rental opportunities that are available for less than 75 per cent of the usual market rental rate for the property, both in the private market and in the community housing sector.

Related links

Public housing

For housing providers