29 June 2026
ACT Shelter’s briefing note examines the implications of the ACT’s Fiscal Sustainability Review and the independent report by economist Saul Eslake for housing, homelessness and community services.
The Eslake Report identifies genuine challenges facing the ACT’s budget position, including sustained expenditure growth, rising debt and significant health system pressures. However, its analysis also shows that housing, homelessness and community services are not driving the Territory’s fiscal pressures. ACT Shelter argues that fiscal sustainability should not be understood simply as reducing expenditure, but as making better long-term investment decisions — including recognising the role of secure housing and early intervention in reducing future pressures across government services.
The briefing note also considers the limitations of Commonwealth Grants Commission benchmarking, which compares relative spending between jurisdictions but does not measure whether investment is sufficient to meet community need. ACT Shelter argues that reversing the long-term decline in social housing requires stronger Commonwealth–state cooperation, better budget processes that recognise prevention and long-term value, and sustained investment in housing as essential social infrastructure.