Canberra real estate agent Jonny Warren remembers all too well what it's like to be homeless.
Falling in with the "wrong crowd" as a teenager, he found himself addicted to ice and living on the streets.
But with help from his family, he managed to kick his addiction and in 2014, began working in real estate.
As his career grew, he became involved with a number of charities to raise funds for homelessness, and one evening headed out with the Vinnies Night Patrol in Canberra's city centre.
Independent MLA Thomas Emerson is backing Mr Warren's plan to have 20 homes renovated by Christmas, and is calling on the government to do the same.
"The government's obviously struggling on its own to meet the level of demand we're seeing in our community for safe, secure, subsidised housing," Mr Emerson said. "The first half of this year, our public housing waitlist has grown by more than 150 approved applicants, while the number of vacancies has grown by more than 50. Make that make sense."
Read the article here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-10/act-campaign-to-renovate-canberra-public-housing-pro-bono/107015858