This holiday season Queensland tenants will have access to independent tenancy advice services.  Against all odds!  That’s because, as you probably know, on July 24 the Queensland government faxed all 23 services funded through the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service (TAAS) Program to inform then of the Program’s discontinuation

Communities, tenants and services rallied across the State voicing concern for the loss of these valuable services.  People were outraged that the small amount of tenant bond interest (around 10%) was being withdrawn from the only independent, tenant-focused services available.  Most people thought is unfair that given tenant bond interest is used to wholly fund the Residential Tenancies Authority (Click here for a visual representation of the funding for 2010-11), whose services are provided free of charge to lessors and real estate agents as well as tenants that the relatively small percentage of bond interest provided for tenant specific services was withdrawn.

Hundreds, probably thousands, of letters were sent to local MPs across the state, the Housing Minister and the Premier.  Stalls were set up at local markets to inform people of the cuts and rallies and postcard campaigns were launched.  People found it unfathomable that these expert services, virtually self-fund, which assist people to avoid homelessness and provide access to justice for tenants, would be completely dismantled after successfully serving their communities for 20-odd years.

Finally on October 3 a breakthrough occurred.  The Commonwealth government, through Federal Housing Minister Brendan O’Connor, announced emergency funding for all 23 services to take them through to June 2013.  This has been the saviour of our sector, without which, virtually all of the local services would now be closed.

Instead, this festive season tenants will be able to call the Tenants’ Union of Queensland’s statewide advice line (1300 744263) on any non-public holiday to get tenancy advice.  As well, many of the local services will be open on those days (click here for contact details).  Without the intervention of the Commonwealth government this would not be the case.

But where to from here?  Services are only funded until June.  We now have to work on the Queensland government to reallocate this small amount of tenant bond interest back to independent services for tenants.  If you find yourself with time these holidays, writing to one or all of your local MP, the Housing Minister (Hon Tim Mander), the Premier and the Treasurer and ask them to fund the TUQ and the TAAS network after June will be a great help. You’ll find a lot of information about tenant advice services on this website.

In the new year, we are going to have to work hard, and draw on your support, to help achieve a positive outcome.  Let’s hope that the Commonwealth government’s emergency funding becomes the long term game changer that sees at least some tenant bond interest provided for independent, specialised and tenant focused services.