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Tenants' Union news

Also check out our blog, Tenant News archive, media appearances, and Housing News Digest.
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From Millers Point to Glebe

Paddi O'Leary in front of a jacaranda tree.
Paddi O’Leary was a tenant in social housing at Millers Point and participated in tenant action to reverse the policy of relocation and also supported tenants through the process of relocation. She talked with Paul van Reyk from the Tenants' Union about her relocation from there to Glebe. "That was the big thing in all of this, the loss of community. You can’t create it from outside,” said Paddi.
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Transfer of Tenancy Management from Public to Community Housing

In October 2016 the Government announced the transfer of tenancy management for thousands of tenanted public housing properties from the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS Housing) to registered Community Housing Providers (CHPs). Expressions of interest were called for, and CHPs invited to tender for contracts. The successful tenders have recently been announced, with around 14,000 properties to be transferred to nine CHPs across a number of regions.
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Boarding Houses Act Five Years On

Terrace cartoon
The Boarding Houses Act 2012 reflected over 40 years of lobbying by public interest groups, including the TU, to try to provide rights and enforceable protections for residents of boarding houses. It aimed to regulate the Boarding House industry as a whole and to ensure that residents receive ‘quality’ services from proprietors. TU has been monitoring the Act’s operation to develop our submission to the five-year review of the Act.
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2017 in review

Houses
With Christmas fast-approaching 2017 is coming to an end. The Residential (Land Lease) Communities Act has been operating for two years and continues to throw up familiar disputes and surprises. In this issue of Outasite Lite we look back over the year and report on the emerging and continuing issues for home owners in land lease communities.
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Proposed Automatic Rent Deduction Scheme may reduce fairness

The Automatic Rent Deduction Scheme (ARDS) as proposed by the Social Services Legislative Amendment (Housing Affordability) Bill 2017 if passed will have a detrimental impact on arrears and debt management processes employed by social housing landlords in New South Wales. The Tenants' Union has made a submission about our concerns to the Senate Inquiry in the proposed Bill.
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Tenants' organisations concerned about forced rent payments proposal

calculator placed on paper
The National Association of Tenants Organisations has concerns about aspects of a Bill before Federal parliament which would enable social housing landlords to access tenants income support payments in order to pay various housing costs.
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NSW Labor's “FAIR GO FOR RENTERS” a Strong Step Towards Making Renting Fair

A coalition of 90 tenants, community organisations, unions and faith based groups called “Make Renting Fair” has welcomed NSW Labor’s new renters’ rights policy.
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Meet Jamie Love, Coordinator of WATAAS

WATAAS Tenant Advocates
This interview introduces Jamie Love, who recently started as Coordinator of the Western Aboriginal Tenants' Advice and Advocacy Service (WATAAS). In the interview, Jamie talks about the challenges facing Aboriginal tenants and WATAAS, and some of the key things that need to change to get better service delivery for Aboriginal people.
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Redeveloping Waterloo housing

Inner Sydney Voice cover
Inner Sydney Voice have produced a special edition all about Waterloo and public housing renewal. It's really excellent - check it out.
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Tenants' Union Reconciliation Action Plan launched

Uncle Ivan Simon launching the RAP
The Tenants' Union of NSW was proud to launch our Reconciliation Action Plan on 13th September 2017 – the 10th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Inspiring leader and friend of the TU, Uncle Ivan Simon gave a powerful speech to launch the RAP and singer songwriter Leah Flanagan brought stories of her people to life through her music.
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