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Economic stimulus proposal: Healthy & affordable homes

Economic Stimulus image
The Tenants' Union, together with over 50 other organisations, is calling for governments to invest in energy efficiency and solar PV for low income homes to stimulate tens of thousands of jobs, cut energy bills and emissions.
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Reflections on 10 years of Tenant Advocacy

Maz at Tweed Heads
After 10 and a half years, Maralyn Schofield is leaving her role as Coordinator of the Northern Rivers Tenants' Advice and Advocacy Service. We took the opportunity to ask her for some of her reflections on the changes she's seen in the world of tenancy – and the things she'd like to see change in future...
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60 day stop on COVID-19 evictions ends, restrictions on evictions continue

Covid19 graphic
From 14 June the initial 60 day stop on evictions for rent arrears where the household is in financial hardship due to COVID-19 ended. However, there are still restrictions on the eviction of impacted tenants for rent arrears. After 14 June, the landlord may only give a termination notice or apply to the Tribunal if the landlord has participated in the NSW Fair Trading formal rent negotiations process in good faith and only if it is fair and reasonable in the circumstances of the case. Only the Tribunal can determine if the eviction order should be made.
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Pursuing a mountain of debt: Landlords’ Insurance

Coronavirus and economic impacts graphic image. Design photo created by Freepik
This blog explores two aspects of landlords’ insurance and asks whether the practices of insurance companies will change during the COVID-19 crisis. The first is when a tenant falls into rent arrears, in order to make a successful claim, the landlord is required to mitigate their loss by commencing eviction action against the tenant. The second is, where an insurance company has paid out a claim, it can step into the shoes of the landlord and commence action to recover rent arrears through the court system.
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International student COVID-19 crisis accommodation

buildings with covid shapes hovering in the sky
The NSW Government is funding temporary crisis accommodation for vulnerable international students in NSW during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme will be delivered through approved student accommodation and homestay providers. Service NSW is administering the application process and will allocate the accommodation. Applicants will not be able to self-select their accommodation.
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Avoiding the spring of carnage: NSW Government rental assistance during the COVID-19 crisis

Graphic image, housingscape in relief with COVID19 stylised virus image in blue background.
This blog outlines what rental assistance programs are available to tenants in the private rental market in New South Wales. Further, it asks whether this assistance is adequate to ensure ‘impacted’ tenants have the support required, so their rent does not accrue as a debt ... and become a rent ‘time bomb’ at the end of the COVID-19 crisis.
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Change Management: Social Housing Management Transfers Program Best Practice Report

Change management report graphic
Between October 2018 and September 2019 the management of more than 14,000 public housing tenancies across nine geographical regions of NSW was transferred from the management of the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS, now the Department of Communities and Justice or DCJ) to ten Community Housing Providers under contracts which last for twenty years. Since affected tenants had no voice or choice in the design or implementation of this program the Tenants’ Union has undertaken the vital task of observing and reviewing its implementation through the lens of tenants’ experience. This report focusses on the experiences of tenants during the transfer period and in the months following transfer.
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New report finds investment in social housing is critical to Australia’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery  

Three initiatives are critical to Australia’s post COVID-19 economic recovery, a new report finds: build additional social and affordable housing stock across NSW; repair old social housing stock; and rapidly acquire properties in the private market to find a permanent solution for rough sleepers and others in temporary/crisis accommodation.
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NSW Parliament passes extra emergency measures: what this means for renters

stylised city skyline with virus particles in the sky
On Tuesday and Wednesday this week NSW Parliament considered a number of measures that might provide further support for NSW renters during the COVID-19 pandemic. While not all of the measures we were hoping to see got passed, there were a couple of small wins. So, what did renters get?
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Further support needed for renters in NSW

buildings with covid shapes hovering in the sky
The current COVID-19 health crisis has impacted everyone in our community. For many renters the challenge of losing a job and reduced household income, or other financial and health impact, has been particularly acute. Many face losing their rented homes. We need to support households to navigate through health crises limiting financial and health impacts as much as possible, ensuring as much as we can that everyone is able to stay safe in their homes - during this immediate crisis, and in the longer term.
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