Termination notice for the Telegraph

For years we have read the Daily Telegraph. It must be said: we have done so, for some time now, with mounting unease and, lately, with distinct displeasure.

But its reportage of the NSW State Government's changes to the rules about 'succession' in public housing – replete with insults about 'rorters' and 'freeloaders' – was the final straw. We've had enough. We won't be buying the Tele again. 

We'll be taking the Big Issue instead.

Public housing amnesty ends this week

Public housing tenants: beware the Ides of March!

 (Public housing tenant Julius Caesar forgot to get protected by the amnesty)

Actually, you've got until Sunday 17 March to disclose any unauthorised additional occupants under the amnesty and get protected from proceedings by Housing NSW for rent arrears, termination or criminal offences.

But this Friday 15 March will be the last business day of the amnesty, and your last opportunity to seek advice on it from your local Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service.

Also see our info on the amnesty, here and here.

Changes to public housing 'succession'

This is not a pleasant thought, but think for a moment if the person you live with died, or suddenly up and left you.

If you live in public housing, and the other person was the tenant on the lease, you have to deal not just with the loss of a significant person from your life – you'll also have to deal with the prospect of losing your home too.

Under current Housing NSW policy, you may be able to remain in your home and take on the lease yourself if you satisfy certain conditions. Spouses of tenants get to stay on; otherwise, you generally have to show that you're eligible for social housing and have lived in the property for at least two years.

Now the NSW State Government has announced that it will change this. The conditions for taking on a tenancy ('succession') will be even tighter. If you're aged under 55 years – regardless of whether you're a spouse, or some other relation – you'll have to show that you satisfy the test for priority housing, a much tougher test. If you don't, you'll get a six month tenancy – a small mercy – then be made to leave.

Says Family and Community Services Minister Prue Goward:

This new approach will encourage household members to find housing in the private rental market and discourage their dependence on tax-payer funded housing.

True, it is difficult to see how some of the criteria for priority housing – especially those relating to 'urgent housing need', which are all about people being in very bad housing situations that they need to get out of – will be satisfied by someone seeking succession (that is, trying to stay in the housing they're in).

But we expect that people will do their hardest to pass the test.

If you're in your 50s, suddenly single and don't own your own home, what does the New South Wales private rental market look like to you? It's not an appealling prospect; in fact, it's pretty horrifying.

And if what it takes to stay in your home, and stay in the system, is to knock back work, get sick, and convince Housing NSW and yourself that you're wretchedly, hopelessly unable to cope out there, you might well do it.

Discouraging dependence? On the contrary.

* 

A further point, about the way this change in policy was announced.

Now imagine again that you've lost an important person from your life, and you may lose your home – and into the bargain the Daily Telegraph calls you a 'houso rorter' and 'freeloader', and the Family and Community Services Minister calls you a 'queue-jumper'.

People living in public housing have come to know they have to grow a thick skin, but this sort of disparagement would catch even the sturdiest person off-guard. Please: knock it off. 

New guideline catches CLCs' law reform work

The NSW State Government has indicated that it will implement new guidelines for the State's 40 community legal centres – of which the Tenants' Union is one. The main thrust of the guidelines is about getting legal services to disadvantaged and vulnerable people – which is a big part of what we're all about.

But one of the proposed guidelines is a real worry. It says:

Funding [to CLCs] may not be used for lobbying activities, public campaigning and providing legal advice to activists and lobby groups.

It's a worry becauses CLCs engage in activities that may be said to answer each of these descriptions – and always for the benefit of our clients and the wider public interest. But the guildeline would restrict against it.

For example, the Tenants' Union engages in discussions with members of the State Government, other Members of State Parliament, government officers and industry stakeholders on matters affecting tenants, marginal renters and residents of residential parks. We do so with the purpose of reforming tenancy law and policy for the benefit of our clients and constituents, and we understand from feedback from senior members and officers of the State Government that this assists in the development of good law, policy and practice. But isn't this 'lobbying'?

We also take our proposals for policy and law reform into public forums. A recent example is our work drawing public attention to the need for boarding house sector reform – reform that the O'Farrell Government has enacted and is now in the process of implementing. But isn't this 'public campaigning'?

Finally, in the course of responding to requests from tenants for advice, we from time to time respond to requests from tenants who identify themselves as 'activists'. In all events our advice is objective and directed to resolving the tenant's present problems effectively, efficiently and within the law. Sometimes it is to discourage unlawful activities, or inefficient or ineffective legal proceedings. But isn't this still 'providing legal advice to activists'?

Each of these types of activities is a valuable service to our clients and constituents, to the State Government and to the wider community. But the guideline proscribing 'lobbying activities, public campaigning and providing legal advice to activists' will cause us to reconsider undertaking these activities.

This would cause very substantial practical problems for us: for example, at what point does the making of a submission on law reform become lobbying or campaign, and how do we weed out 'activists' from all the tenants who seek our legal advice? It would also cause a substantial detriment to our clients and constitutents, by reducing the representation of their interests in policy and law reform processes, and to the State Government and the community generally.

If you're worried too, please let the Premier, the Attorney-General, and your local MP know about it.

Window safety: more action needed

A two-year old boy has fallen 13 metres from a flat in Eastwood, in suburban Sydney. He's now in a stable condition with possible internal injuries, in the intensive care unit at Westmead Children's Hospital. We're crossing our fingers for him and thinking of his family.

As the linked article reports, changes to the Building Code of Australia mean that from May this year new buildings must have window-limiting devices installed on windows more than two metres above a surface: that is, locks that can lock open the window at not more than 12.5 centimetres, or bars, or reinforced screens (not flyscreens).

These changes are good, as far as they go – and they go nowhere to addressing window hazards in existing buildings.

Back in 2005, the NSW State Parliament addressed a different threat to life and limb when it passed legislation requiring smoke alarms to be installed in all residences – new and old.  This important safety measure has been implemented throughout the State without any serious hassles.

For the sake of the 40 or so children who fall from residential buildings each year, we should take the same approach to window safety. 

UPDATE 27/3/2013. Jeremy, the boy who fell, is reported to be doing remarkably well. We wish him continued good luck!

Community Housing Registrar's 'Annual Statement of Performance'

The NSW Registrar of Community Housing has recently published its 'Annual Statement of Performance 2012' (ASOP). This document provides a useful account of the state of Community Housing in New South Wales, through analysis of providers' recent engagement and compliance with the Regulatory Code for Community Housing Providers.

We welcome this publication, and look forward to trawling its many pages for information. The ASOP also gives a clear insight into the regulatory approach taken by the Registrar. It will be a useful reference for anyone wanting to raise a concern about the conduct of a Community Housing Provider that is operating within NSW.

But the ASOP highlights a failing within the regulatory system: the regulator finds itself in ongoing dialogue with Community Housing Providers, but is not set up to engage directly with tenants. Tenants may raise issues through a complaints mechanism, and these may or may not have some bearing on the work that the regulator will undertake from there. But on the whole, tenant voices are not a strong feature of community housing as we see it through the prism of regulation.

This is a shame, because the true value of our community housing system - and one of the best reasons we can think of for keeping an eye on its landlords - is in its ability to make a difference to tenants.

Download the ASOP in PDF, here.

Multi-generational housing survey

Do you live in rental housing in a household of multiple generations of related adults?

If so, the City Futures Research Centre at the University of NSW wants to hear from you.

City Futures is researching multi-generational households in Australian cities, and they've developed an online survey for you to fill out.

Participants have the chance to win a shopping voucher – but more importantly, everyone who participates will be contributing to what we know about an important aspect of how we are housed.

At the 2011 Census, there were about 58 000 multi-generational households living in private rental housing in Sydney (that's about double the number recorded 30 years previously).