We asked for feedback from 15 October to 21 December 2018. You shared your feedback on the development by:

• Logging in and commenting on the feedback tab
• Emailing us at housingactrenewal@act.gov.au
• Talking to us at the Dickson Group Centre on Saturday 10 November 2018

The designs have been revised from the original proposal of six 2-bedroom dwellings, to five 2-bedroom dwellings. Due to the proposed changes, a second round of community engagement was undertaken. See the timeline.

As our city expands, we're planning for a Canberra that's inclusive, innovative, healthy, smart, active and fun. By developing new and improved properties, we ensure safe, affordable and secure housing choices are in place for everyone.

We want to hear your ideas on the proposal to consolidate the two sites at 44-46 Marsden Street Dickson and redevelop this with five 2-bedroom dwellings.

The new development will include:

• Five x 2-bedroom Class C adaptable single level dwellings, accessed from a single driveway which will remain in the existing driveway location on 44 Marsden Street
• 6 star energy efficiency rating which means that they will be more comfortable to live in and cheaper for our tenants to run
• Retention of verge trees which will maintain the existing streetscape character of the suburb. These trees will be protected during demolition and construction

The proposed development is in close proximity to the Dickson group centre. The accessibility of the site and opportunities for tenants to walk to the nearby shops, schools and transport will provide people with the opportunity to get involved and participate in their local community.

We will use your ideas and feedback in preparing the Development Application for the development.

Please find below the concept plans for the proposed development at 44-46 Marsden Street, Dickson.

It is proposed to consolidate these two blocks and replace the two existing aged dwellings with five 2-bedroom adaptable Class C dwellings. By developing new and improved properties, we ensure safe, affordable and secure housing choices are in place for everyone.

The proposed development is in close proximity to local shops and services at the Dickson group centre, schools and transport options available along Cowper Street.

The accessibility of the site and opportunities for tenants to walk to the nearby shops, transport and schools will provide people with the opportunity to get involved and participate in their local community.

Housing ACT is proposing to consolidate the blocks at 44 and 46 Marsden Street Dickson, and redevelop this site to replace the existing two dwellings (both built in 1961). As a large, well-positioned site, Housing ACT is proposing to construct five new single level 2-bedroom Class C adaptable houses. There will be a single driveway access point, and accessible parking provided via a centrally located carport.

Adaptable housing ensures that people of all ages and abilities can live within the home and it can be easily adapted to meet changing household needs without requiring costly or substantial modifications. This is part of the ongoing commitment to revitalise the public housing portfolio.

The design concepts have been prepared for community consultation and feedback. Each dwelling will have designated car accommodation and private enclosed yards. The site will be accessed by a single driveway in the existing location at 44 Marsden Street. All verge trees will be retained and protected during construction.

The proposed development is in excellent proximity to the Dickson Group Centre which includes shops, a library, health services and employment opportunities, as well as schools and public transport options along Cowper Street. The accessibility of the site and opportunities for tenants to walk to the nearby shops, schools and transport will provide people with the opportunity to get involved and participate in their local community.

Housing ACT is committed to providing public housing across Canberra, to build communities that are diverse and vibrant that enable people to achieve positive social and economic outcomes.

We are committed to engaging with the community, to build neighbourhoods that are inclusive and welcoming, that offer safe and affordable housing to those who need it most.

Housing ACT provides tenants with safe, affordable and appropriate housing in a sustainable social environment. We provide housing to those Canberrans most in need including people in extreme financial hardship who are unable to find accommodation elsewhere.

Public housing makes up about 8% of all housing in the ACT.

• 25% is located in Belconnen
• 21% is located in Tuggeranong
• 18% is located in Woden and the inner south
• 23% is located in the inner north

New developments will be modern, energy efficient and include a mix of sizes to suit different tenant requirements, including properties that can be adapted in the future, to enable tenants to age in place.

The buildings will be built to a 6 star energy efficiency rating which means they will be more comfortable to live in and cheaper for our tenants to run.

A variety of materials and building features will be used, along with retaining existing vegetation where appropriate, to blend the development into the streetscape. The scale and form of the new houses will be in scale with the neighbouring buildings.

Public housing tenants include a broad range of people including a high proportion of older people (approximately 26% are aged over 65 years), women (64%), as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and people with disability (63% of our tenants access the disability support pension).

Approximately 75% of our tenants live in single person or single parent households. About 27% of our tenants are children under the age of 15 years.

Some of our tenants stay in public housing for only a short period of time, until they can ‘get back on their feet’. Others stay in public housing longer-term.

The range of our tenants means that the housing we provide needs to be diverse to meet the needs of different people. We provide family homes, single-person apartments, accessible housing and housing that is close to essential services such as medical services and public transport.

Redeveloping our properties allows us to ensure that safe, affordable and secure housing is made available for vulnerable Canberrans who need it – now – and into the future.

More than 70% of our housing stock was built before the 1990’s, therefore building new public housing and redeveloping existing public housing allows us to replace older stock with modern, more contemporary designed buildings with improved energy efficiency.

It enables us to apply a ‘salt and pepper’ approach to development to reduce concentrations of disadvantage, and build well-designed dwellings that look and feel like other housing in the neighbourhood.

Delivering public housing close to essential services helps to ensure that the varied support needs of tenants can be accommodated and it is an important step in supporting some of our community’s most vulnerable people.

Housing ACT looks to the following principles when designing new public housing:

• Quality design – consistent with the existing and future character of the suburb
• Transparent, honest and open communication with the surrounding tenants and community.
• Liveable design – a more flexible, easy to access and navigate, liveable space, designed to have a positive impact on tenants and the neighbourhood
• Design that enhances the streetscape
• Design that aims to promote a sense of pride for tenants, harnessing a supportive community for both the tenants and the wider community, ensuring that tenants feel safe and comfortable within the new housing development