Social Housing options in the ACT

Housing & Community Services ACT is responsible for the provision of social housing in the ACT. There are three choices of social housing in the ACT which reflect the differing needs and preferences of tenants:

  • Public housing
  • Community Housing
  • Affordable Housing

You can find guidelines for eligibility for ACT social housing using the link below. 

Guidelines for social housing eligibility

Public Housing

Public housing provides long term rental accommodation for low and moderate income Canberran’s. The housing is owned and managed by Housing ACT. Tenants pay the lower amount of either 25% of their household’s assessable income or the market rent.

Community Housing

Houses used for community housing are mostly owned by the ACT Government. Property management is carried out by non-profit community housing organisations. These organisations provide different types of long-term rental homes for tenants such as:

  • 2 and 3 bedroom units for older Canberrans
  • 1 bedroom apartments in housing complexes near town centres
  • group sharing in stand-alone houses or in apartment complexes, where tenants have their own bedroom but other facilities (such as the bathroom, kitchen and laundry) are shared
  • 3, 4 and 5 bedroom properties in the Inner North
  • 1 and 2 bedroom independent living units
  • 2 and 3 bedroom free-standing homes.

Tenants pay the lower amount of either 25% of their household’s assessable income or the market rent.  

There are five organisations that deliver community housing in the ACT, each provides accommodation targeted at the specific needs of their tenants:

Affordable Housing

The ACT Government also offers affordable housing for people on low to moderate incomes, including people whose income may be above the eligibility level for public housing. Rent is calculated as a proportion of income and is capped at 75% of the market rent for a property. Properties are either individual or shared accommodation in:

  • group houses
  • an apartment complex
  • a townhouse, or
  • a standalone house.

Find more information about affordable housing and the range of affordable options available to meet your needs use the links below. 

Affordable Housing information  Affordable Housing options

Providers of affordable housing in the ACT include:

How to apply for Social Housing

Use the link below to learn about the documents you need to apply for social housing and how to make an application in the ACT.

How to apply for Social Housing

Maintenance and Complaints services for ACT Housing Tenants