Minister for Housing and Public Works The Honourable Bruce Flegg
24/07/2012
Tenant program closed to pay for new public housing
The Newman Government will discontinue the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service (TAAS) program as part of continued efforts to accommodate the 30,000 Queensland households currently waiting for social housing.
Housing and Public Works Minister Dr Bruce Flegg said his first priority was ensuring all available funds were channelled to the area of greatest need.
“The program has been jointly funded by the Queensland Government and the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) for a number of years and has received more than $20 million over the past four years,” Dr Flegg said.
“We can put this money to better and more direct use by building more social and affordable housing across Queensland.
“The former Government left Queensland with a debt heading towards $100 billion and a public housing system with no money to build houses.
“While it would be nice to be able to continue to fund programs like the TAAS, our primary focus needs to be on the core business of putting roofs over people’s heads.”
Dr Flegg said all current contractual obligations with the 23 affected community and local government organisations would be met as the program was wound down and that tenants would still be able to access information services through the RTA.
“I would like to thank all the community organisations and councils that have been involved with the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service.”
There are 500,000 renting households in Qld. About 50,000 are in publc and 20,000 in community housing. That leaves about 430,000 Qld households in the private rental market without an advoacy service to assist them (including most of the 30,000 waiting for publc housing) in order to build at best 20 houses per year. And the Minister fails to mention that the ‘money coming from the RTA’ is actually interest generated on tenants’ bonds!
My daughter was in a private rental with a leaking roof, a broken live electrical switch over a sink, boken cupboard doors one of which fell on a pregnant woman as well as amny other faults. The local TAS in a half hour interview gave them sufficient information to convince the magistrate to not only terminate their lease without default payment but also order full refund of bond. During that time they also helped a family of four living in a car to find emergency accommodation. NOBODY else could do this. They must be kept!!!!!
I have two friends who were living in private rental houses. The rudeness of the owners and R. E. Agents was shocking. Two Real Estate Agents from the one business threatened one tenant with being put out on the street.
Each of these people sort the advice of the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service. In each case, the advice given was excellent. One ended up in the Magistrates’ Court. The outcome for the R.E. agent was not good for him. The person in the Magistrates’ Court was listened to by the Magistrate, and a fair outcome resulted in her receiving financial recompense, as well as the house that she rented having numerous items mended and some replaced.
We need the free Tenant Advisory Service. What a heartless decision Dr Flegg!