Yesterday the Minister for Housing and Public Works responded to a question in Parliament about the effect of the de-funding of the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Services (TAAS) program.

In the face of cutting funding to all 23 services statewide, TAAS workers across the state have expressed concern and bitter disappointment over the Minister’s misconceptions about the Program and work of TAAS, and the undervaluing of the skill level required to provide these services.  You can read the Hansard record here and we will also add it to the end of the post.

Here are several reasons why what the Minister said is, at best, misconceived:

•  Providing tenancy advice is about empowering tenants. We try to get tenants to self-advocate by giving them the advice, skills and tools to run their own matter.  There is rarely enough resources to meet demand.  This work is often done by telephone which helps services to meet the needs of as many clients as possible.  The level of support provided to tenants is escalated if there is a need – e.g. they may have a disability, have literacy issues, English as a second language, it may be a complex matter, the client may be in an emotional state –  and the worker might prepare documents, make representations on their behalf or more formally represent them.   Much of this work requires some face to face interaction or at least documents to be reviewed.  Because a lot of the work is on the phone does not mean that it is not different from the RTA’s information provision.
• ‘we see that 60 per cent of the core service outcomes were reported as unresolved’ –  this refers to data the services are required to collect.  What it means is that in 60% of cases when giving advice to tenants the services don’t know what the outcome of the matter is.  It simply means that at the time of giving the advice – how to seek compensation from the lessor for example, the worker doesn’t know the outcome regarding the claim.
•  The work requires a high level of training and expertise and this expertise accumulates over time.  To say that there are lots of services which could fill the void truly underestimates what’s required to deliver accurate up to date and quality advice.
• The Minister says “A further 27 per cent were reported as info only. This is a gold plated service where 27 per cent of its business is duplicating the role of the RTA”.  This is incorrect.  The RTA informs all parties about tenancy laws.  The information work of tenancy advice service widely varies, they do not inform about the laws (they advise tenants).  Their information work is more likely to be things like seeking out services to provide emergency relief because a client has told them they have no food or presents for their children and its three days before Christmas (this is a real case story).  They may be giving tenants referrals (or even active referrals where they call to make appointments) to services dealing with domestic violence or suicide prevention.  These are not things the RTA does.  If someone calls and tenancy advice can’t help or there is an addition to the advice work, this might be recorded as information.  It is spin to say that it is duplication of the RTA’s work.
• Helping people into housing, in particular filling out complex social housing applications and assisting tenants gather the correct evidence, is a part of the work of TAASs.  Many of these clients are referred to them by their local Department of Housing office.  However, this work is a relatively small part of the overall work.  The vast majority of TAAS work is with people living in the private rental market, providing them with tenancy law advice.  This work is focused on ensuring these households have access to justice and helping to protect people against becoming homeless.

Hansard
Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service

Mr JUDGE: My question is to the Minister for Housing and Public Works regarding the imminent loss of the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service. Does the minister foresee any adverse consequences associated with the Newman government’s decision to cease funding to this service in terms of increasing the risk of homelessness and placing additional pressure on the already strained public housing system? If so, what plans are being put in place to address these critical issues?

Mr MANDER: I thank the honourable member for his question. Last year, this government had to make some very tough decisions because of the debt that we inherited from the previous government. One of those tough decisions was to stop funding for the TAAS services that were operating throughout this state. But we did it for other reasons as well. Advocacy and advice to tenants is offered through a whole range of different avenues. Of course, the greatest way it is offered is through the Residential Tenancies Authority—the RTA—and also through other community organisations. Just last week I heard a quote from the Salvation Army in Townsville, which talked about the fact that quite a few non-government organisations supply advocacy for people to get into housing and that `as far as advocacy groups go, it doesn’t seem to be a shortage problem in Townsville’. I am hearing stories like that right across the state.

A review a couple of years ago by the previous government of the TAAS services brought out a couple of very relevant points. When we look at their performance report produced by the department, we see that 60 per cent of the core service outcomes were reported as unresolved, or unknown. A further 27 per cent were reported as info only. This is a gold plated service where 27 per cent of its business is duplicating the role of the RTA. In fact, the same report reveals that three quarters of TAAS services are provided over the phone and in writing, not face to face.

This government believes that those services are important, but they are being offered at the moment in ways that are far more cost effective. We are not into wasting money. We want to use that money for—and this pun is intentional—concrete solutions. We will put roofs over people’s heads with the money that we will save through that money that currently goes to TAAS services. I am looking forward to announcing some of those new arrangements in the next few weeks, which will show very practical solutions to helping the 20,000 people in Queensland at the moment who regard themselves as homeless.

Unlike the opposition, which is very good at scaremongering—going out and frightening the living daylights out of people rather than providing practical solutions—we will not fall into that trap. I am looking forward to talking about those solutions and helping those people put a roof over their heads, which is everybody’s right in this state.