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Also check out our blog, Tenant News archive, media appearances, and Housing News Digest.
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Research: Northern Rivers floods expose flaws in NSW housing system

Fri, 25/11/2022 - 12:01
Floods and housing report PDF cover
As flooding impacts more NSW communities, new research from UNSW City Futures Research Centre, jointly commissioned by the Tenants' Union of NSW along with Mission Australia, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, Social Futures, The Salvation Army Australia, Australian Red Cross shows action needs to be taken to safeguard regional Australians against homelessness and displacement as severe weather events become more common.
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Tenants' Union Annual Report 2021-22

Mon, 21/11/2022 - 14:17
Annual Report 2021-2022
The 2021-2022 financial year began with Sydney under a strict four-month lockdown and finished with severe weather, flooding, and a deepening housing crisis. Through these challenging times, the Tenants' Union has maintained our resilience and deep commitment to supporting NSW renters. Whether it's through online resources, advocacy or supporting the advice provided by the network of Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services, the Tenants' Union works with and for renters, for housing justice. While the actions and impact of the Tenants’ Union this year are too many to mention, the Annual Report covers the big highlights...
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Homes for people: Housing solutions for everyone

Wed, 16/11/2022 - 15:10
Homes for people event at NSW Parliament House, November 2022
In November the Tenants' Union of NSW, along with our Homes for People coalition partners, organised a parliamentary briefing to launch the election advocacy platform Homes for People: Housing Solutions for Everyone. Homes for People coalition are calling for housing reform that will create the homes people want and need; homes that provide shelter, safety, stability, and comfort.

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Property Tax: TUNSW provides evidence to NSW Parliament

Mon, 31/10/2022 - 16:01
Leo Patterson Ross, Jemima Mowbray of Tenants' Union appear in Parliament
Last week the Tenants' Union of NSW spoke at the public hearing for the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the Property Tax (First Home Buyer) Bill 2022 in support of the introduction of a broad-based land tax, while recognising that the First Home Buyer’s Choice currently proposed and being considered before Parliament does not fit the definition of a broad-based land tax of that type. Implementation of the current proposal may be the first step in a transition to a broader land tax, and give us the opportunity to put in place hardship responses and data infrastructure that will tell us how to progress. The risk is that transition won’t continue.
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Pets and renting — share your experience!

Thu, 20/10/2022 - 15:44
Take the survey
We would like to hear from NSW renters about your experiences renting with pets (or trying to get landlord permission for a pet). We will use information you provide to us to collate a submission to the NSW Government consultation, sharing the views and experiences of our community of renters.
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NEWTAAS Annual Report 2022

Wed, 19/10/2022 - 13:24
NEWTAAS Advocates
Spiralling rents threaten many tenants with homelessness if they lose their homes. Many tenants are being evicted for no reason (no grounds terminations). NEWTAAS Tenant Advocates assess a client's risk of homelessness based on income and the tenant's experience in sourcing a new home. In 2021-2022 tenants and risk of homelessness rose by more than 80%. The threat of homelessness means many are forced to keep quiet about serious maintenance issues. In the New England, North West, Western and Far West areas of NSW, NEWTAAS works to increase access to the legal system for the most disadvantaged people in the communities we serve...
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The insecurity and uncertainty of renting: 'A constant exercise in weighing up options.'

Mon, 17/10/2022 - 09:18
Home, two feet at a door mat that reads 'home' leading in to a house
At the recent Briefing on Healthy Homes for Renters held at NSW Parliament on 13 October 2022, Sarah* shared her experience renting her home. Though a lawyer and academic researcher, Sarah explained that as a renter she does not feel confident asserting her rights to a healthy home.
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Healthy Homes for Renters at NSW Parliament

Fri, 14/10/2022 - 08:52
Group photo at briefing Healthy Homes for Renters
Yesterday the Tenants' Union of NSW alongside Better Renting and Sweltering Cities provided a briefing on Healthy Homes for Renters to a diverse, cross section of Members of the NSW Parliament. The briefing focused on the need for energy efficiency standards in rental  homes and renters’ current experience of unhealthy homes in NSW.
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Who is using the Tribunal and why?

Sun, 09/10/2022 - 11:05
Heat map re evictions
We are always trying to better understand what is happening for NSW renters. We want to make sure we can identify the problems and pressures renters are experiencing, as well as whether the policies and laws in place to support them are working. In this blog we use data from NCAT about the lodgements of their tenancy and social housing lists over the past financial year, that is July 2021 - June 2022 and ask who is taking action, and about what?
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Evicted! A comedy about renting in Sydney

Wed, 05/10/2022 - 10:04
Group of housemates
Evicted! is a new comedy about renting in Sydney. The film won the audience award for best feature at the 2022 Sydney Film Festival. It follows a ragtag bunch of millennial housemates who get evicted and have to navigate the hellish rental market in search of a new place to call home, all on top of job hunting, side hustling and dating.
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