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Tenants' Union news

Also check out our blog, Tenant News archive, media appearances, and Housing News Digest.
For factsheets and sample letters, please see Tenancy info.

 

Free legal advice for park residents

Outasite Lite article
Following the introduction of the Residential (Land Lease) Communities Act 2013 on 1 November 2015, NSW Fair Trading has provided a small grant to five Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services. Northern Rivers, Mid Coast, Hunter, Illawarra and South Coast and South West NSW Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services all received funding for a part time worker to focus on residential parks in 2016.
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On the road

Community education
Following the Christmas break we are back on the road visiting parks and providing free information sessions for residents. We have just been out and about with Tenant Advocates in South and South West Sydney, the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and on the far South Coast.
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Please can we have a cat?

Renting with pets is risky, you've got to be responsible in ways that others do not. Unlike tenants, home owners can't be evicted for failing to train a dog not to bark at passing traffic, and they don't really have to be concerned about the damage their pets might cause - at least, not as far as it might affect other people. But because home owners are considered bona fide grown-ups, we let them decide for themselves whether or not to keep pets. Tenants, on the other hand, are apparently not to be trusted with such decisions without the blessing of a landlord.
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More than bricks and mortar

Robin and Kathy
Robyn Stafford lives in Minto, a suburb in south western Sydney. She has experience as a tenant who has been through a redevelopment process in public housing. She has been active in working alongside other community members to improve tenant outcomes from the redevelopment process. She shares her wisdom in this interview.
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Women finding home

Hana
Women from a refugee background face a multitude of challenges and barriers when trying to find a place to call home in Australia. Like many Australians faced with a sudden change in living circumstances, they don’t have a rental history, referees or money for a bond or advance rent. In this article Rekha Sanghi of Settlement Services International looks at some of these issues and shares the stories of two women from refugee backgrounds, Hana and Zara.
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Ruth Simon: A champion for housing rights

Ruth Simon
Ruth Simon is a true champion for housing justice. For well over a quarter of a century Ruth has dedicated herself to ensuring justice for Aboriginal people through her work, both paid and unpaid. She has initiated or managed a range of initiatives promoting access to education, secure housing, health and employment. Always, Ruth has understood how these issues interrelate and how they all must be addressed to create positive outcomes for Aboriginal people.
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Putting down roots

Alison's garden
In this piece, boarding house resident Alison Jolly tells her story: "The housing situation for older single women like me (I’m 61) can be difficult unless they own their own home. Many of us divorced our husbands after years of domesticity which had left us unskilled for the work force, without superannuation, and often with an extreme lack of confidence. I think women also like to potter and enjoy homey things like baking etc. so housing is important to them. We also miss out (as do grandfathers) on having our grandchildren visit if our housing is dangerous and unclean."
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Seeking security

Older woman standing in front of a 'leased' sign
"It’s so hard to find rental accommodation that is in any way decent. I watch the papers all the time and have my name with lots of agents, but they don’t care. You should see some of the places I am offered, they are disgusting. Some of them should be condemned – they are hovels. The unit I live in is in a very old block and the owner put it on the market about two years ago but no one will buy it."
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When home isn't safe: Queer women and housing

Indigo
Indigo Dunphy is a 20 year old queer person who, at the time of interviewing, was living in a share house with another queer woman and two straight men. She has a girlfriend who stayed over regularly. She talks about the difficulties of finding a safe and respectful share house to live in.
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At least I have a room

Gretta
This is a story about Gretta, a boarding house resident. She has lived in two boarding houses. The first she liked very much as it included a communal living area as well as shared facilities. About two years ago the building was sold and she had to move out. With the help of staff at Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, Gretta was able to find cheaper accommodation but the current boarding house doesn’t have any living room space or anywhere outdoors to go.
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