Twenty-four community organisations will lose their funding – and more than half a million Queensland households will lose access to independent information and advice about their rights and obligations as tenants.
Housing Minister Dr Bruce Flegg said:
“While it would be nice to be able to continue to fund programs like the TAAS, our primary focus needs to be on the core business of putting roofs over people’s heads.”
'Nice'? Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services keep roofs over people's heads. They also keep a lot of tenancy disputes from getting out of hand, and keep rents being paid – a point that is sometimes missed by landlords and governments.
The defunding will save about $5 million per year – but cost the whole of the community there a lot more.
Let's hope sense prevails and this valuable service – part of the core business of housing people decently – is funded to keep working for Queensland tenants.
Yet another short sighted decision by a short sighted Government. The cost of providing services to tenants who become homeless because they can't get good advice and advocacy to retain their tenancies will be far more than $5 million. Will governments ever learn that early intervention is far more cost effective than providing crisis services? I doubt it!
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, houses are expensive.
ReplyDeleteTenants are not responsible for this... For the most part, that dubious honour goes to landlords, and our tax system.
But it is tenants who will end up paying.
Landlords win. Again.