(from NYT) Maxwell Holyoke-Hirsch
Jimmy Thomson writes in the Domain that NSW and Queensland renters are demanding more bang for their bond!. Read the article here
Tenants Demand More Bang for their Bond!!
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Independent tenancy advice to be restored under new Qld government
New Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced her Cabinet team. Leanne Enoch MP is the new Minister for Housing.
We look forward to seeing the government implement its promise to provide renters with access to independent tenancy advice. and a full review of social housing policies.
Qld renters one step closer to having access to tenancy advice
Today newly re-elected Independent MP for Nicklin, Mr Peter Wellington, has said he will support the Labor party to form government. Queensland Labor has committed to providing Queensland renters with access to independent tenancy advice. See the extract below from the ABC news website or read the whole article here.
Queensland election 2015: Independent Peter Wellington backs Labor in forming government
By Matt Eaton
Independent MP Peter Wellington has announced he will support Labor in forming a minority government in Queensland.
His decision comes as the outcome of last Saturday’s election remains in the balance, with Labor still at least two seats short of an outright majority.
Before you vote – know what the political parties think
You can find out what the political parties think about access to tenancy advice and other important issues for renters on the Tenants Queensland website. http://tenantsqld.org.au/know-that-the-parties-think-about-tenancy-issues-before-you-vote/
TQ welcomes Labor commitment to tenancy advice
Tenants Queensland welcomes the announcement by Labor to fund independent tenancy advice after yesterday’s announcement yesterday.
See Labor Shadow Minister, Mrs Yvette D’ath’s Facebook post from this morning
Qld Labor announces commitment to independent tenancy advice
Today the Queensland Labor Party announced its commitment to funding access to independent tenancy advice if it wins next week’s election. Read the announcement here.
They have also committed to scrapping the public housing temporary absences policy which requires allows tenants to be away from their property for 4 weeks in every year unless they fit strict criteria. The policy also requires tenants to inform the Department if they are away for more than 7 days. Labor says they will review public housing policies
Political parties responses to TQ questions – updated
Tenants Queensland has updated the tablle on their website setting out responses from the political parties to a series of questions, one being whether they support funding for independent tenancy advice.
Utah is ending homelessness by giving people homes – Nation of Change
Reprinted from the Nation of Change
Earlier this month, Hawaii State representative Tom Bower (D) began walking the streets of his Waikiki district with a sledgehammer, and smashing shopping carts used by homeless people. “Disgusted” by the city’s chronic homelessness problem, Bower decided to take matters into his own hands — literally. He also took to rousing homeless people if he saw them sleeping at bus stops during the day.
Senate inquiry into housing affordability – have your say!
On 12 December 2013, the Senate referred an inquiry into affordable housing to the Senate Economics References Committee for inquiry and report. Submissions should be received by 25 March 2014. The reporting date is 26 June 2014.
Find out more here.
Could an Australian housing bubble be around the corner?
5 years is a long time……
Tenant advice services help people avoid homelessness and reduce demand on social housing and homelessness services. Help save tenant services in Queensland.
Baby Grace calls for re-funding of Tenant Services in Qld!!
We’d like to introduce you to our newest recruit. Baby Grace says she’s happy to live with her family for now but one day she’s going to want to move out into a place of her own. The chances are, that’ll be into the private rental market. And she wants to have a fair market to live in – one that includes services which can help her understand her rights and responsibilities and assist her to act on them in order achieve the best outcomes for her.
Baby Grace really wants Tenant Services in Queensland to be re-funded by the State government (all it would take is a small percentage of the interest generated on tenants’ own bonds) before the current funding ends on December 31, 2013.
Help SAVE TENANT SERVICES beyond 2013! Keep an eye out – we’ll be updating this site in the very near future and moving back into campaign gear.
(Note – names have been changed to protect the young!)
Minister calls on PM to reinstate long-term funding for homelessness
We think there is more than a hint of hypocrisy in this media statement issued today by Minister Mander. The Queensland government has failed to fund tenant advice and advocacy services which we understand is a requirement of them under the current National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness.
Minister Mander’s Housing statement aims to divert 250,000 people from social housing into the private rental market (PRM) between now and 2020. The services being expanded by the Minister, like the government-run RentConnect, help people enter the PRM but don’t help to keep people more safely and securely housed while they live there. And they don’t advocate changes to tenancy law to make sure the market works for tenants and mitigates against them slipping out of it and onto social housing waitlists.
Come on Queensland government, re-fund tenant advisory services before December 31 this year. It only takes a small percentage of the interest generated on tenants’ bonds.
Commonwealth to bypass State with TAAS funding – Brisbane Times
Read directly from the Brisbane Times here and make comments at the bottom of the article.
Government takes $24M in renters bond interest over 2 years
We’ve been looking the budget. Looks like the government will rip out $24M over two years from the interest generated on private renters’ bonds. We don’t see any funding for tenant advisory services.
Renters are still left out in the cold, but worse, they’re being prevailed on to fund the core government responsibility, not just once through taxes, but a second time through the lose of vital services. See ‘Expenses – grants and subsidies’.
