Please ask your local member if they support the continuation of tenant services for their constituents. – and get them to ask the Premier to review the decision communicated by the Director-General of the Department of Housing not to fund after June 30.  Here’s a draft letter to help you or see below.  Write soon, time is running out!

Just a small percentage of the interest on tenants’ own bond money would fund services across the state.

Draft Letter

(insert date)

I am writing to ask if you support the advice from the Department of Housing Director-General, that there will be no future funding for services previously funded under the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Services (TAAS) Program.

As my local member I am asking you to voice your support for tenant advice and advocacy services in our community and seek reinstatement of funding for these services.

I also ask you to approach Premier Campbell Newman on my behalf and request he reconsider the Department of Housing decision to cease funding the TAAS program

Recent statements in parliament suggest that the Housing Minister does not fully understand the level of training and skills required by workers before providing advice and advocacy services to tenants, roles which may soon be lost to the 500,000 (or 1/3 of) Queensland renting households. A small percentage of Interest earned on tenant bond money is all it takes to fund 23 services to provide local, free, front line services for tenants.

The Housing Minister also stated the Residential Tenancies Authority can fill the gap left by TAAS. This is not correct. The RTA is impartial and does not provide advice or advocacy support for tenants.

Without your successful intervention tenant advice services will close on June 30 and tenants will have nowhere to go for advice and advocacy support.

Yours sincerely
(sign here and insert your name and address)