West End Community House’s much valued Tenancy Advice and Advocacy Service is scheduled to close in October following an announcement by the Queensland Minister for Housing Bruce Flegg.
The State Government has discontinued funding to the TAAS(Q) Program after more than 25 years of operations and has determined to re-direct these funds towards public and social housing programs.
The Tenancy Advice and Advocacy Service at West End Community House has provided support to in excess of 4500 families and households each year since 1988, assisting tenants to understand their rights and responsibilities under the law, navigate dispute resolution and Tribunal processes, and supported households and individuals to gain and maintain their housing in the private and public housing sectors.
The TAAS has outreached to homeless persons through the Kurilpa Kiosk initiative, provided dozens of community information sessions each year, and offered the highly praised Boarders Breakfast Program since 2004.
TAAS Co-ordinator Joe Hurley has called on the Minister to urgently re-consider his decision.
“The TAAS(Q) Program is a vital element of support for tenants and families in the private rental and public housing sectors, particularly those experiencing hardship, disadvantage or difficulties. The Program has actively supported households to find and maintain housing in the private rental market, easing pressure on public housing wait lists, and supporting the efficient functioning of the housing market. All Housing Ministers have acknowledged the value of this Program over the past two decades – we call on the new Minister to urgently re-consider this decision and re-instate this much needed front-line support for vulnerable Queenslanders.”
The discontinuation of funding for the TAAS program will have a profound impact on the services available from West End Community House. The TAAS Program has supported Community House’s ongoing viability for more than two decades. Community House’s Management Committee are urgently reviewing future services and operations at the House, and will provide community members notice of anticipated changes as soon as we are able.
The TAAS Program will continue to operate until October 2012, and all existing services will remain available to community members over coming months.
STOP PRESS!
COMMUNITY FEEDBACK TO THE QLD STATE GOVERNMENT
Since the Minister’s announcement last week, West End Community House and the TAAS Team have received hundreds of expressions of support and concern from community members. If you would like to express your support for the continuation of this service, we ask that you contact the Minister for Housing or Premier
Minister for Housing and Public Works
Hon Dr Bruce Flegg MP
PO Box 2457 BRISBANE QLD 4001
Phone: (07) 3237 1832 Fax: (07) 3012 9017
Email: HousingandPublicworks@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Queensland Premier
Hon Campbell Newman MP
GPO Box 15185 CITY EAST QLD 4002
Phone: (07) 3224 4500 Fax: (07) 3221 1809
Email: thepremier@premiers.qld.gov.au
ABOUT THE TENANCY ADVICE AND ADVOCACY SERVICE PROGRAM
The Tenancy Advice and Advocacy Service Program is a Queensland wide front line service, delivered from Cape York to Coolangatta and all major regional areas of the state by community based organisations;
. The TAAS Program has provided support to more than 70 000 Queenslanders annually, with up to 100 000 contactswith the community in any given year;
. The TAAS Program is funded by the interest earnings on tenants bonds held by the Residential Tenancies Authority – tenants have directly funded this Program and the operations of the Residential Tenancies Authority for more than two decades at no cost to government;
. The large majority of low income and other vulnerable households in Queensland are forced to rely on the private rental market for housing. More than 33% of Queenslanders are renting their home – this is the highest number of any state other than the Northern Territory. In our local area more than 50% of local residents rent their homes;
. The TAAS Program provides a range of services that are not available from any other agency, including the Residential Tenancies Authority – these include supporting households to fill out forms and develop letters, supporting them to understand and negotiate complex Tribunal processes and to locate housing in the private rental market – this particular support that is provided to the most disadvantaged households including those with disabilities, health issues and other vulnerabilities will simply not be available elsewhere in the community.
. Currently there are 30,000 households waiting for public housing. The RTA funding being withdrawn for tenant advice will be likely to be able to build around 20 houses annually. This is less than one house per area where a tenancy advice service is accessible to tenants, compared to the 70,000 odd households that are assisted through theprogram, many of whom are people on the public housing register.
WHO DOES THE TAAS(Q) AT WEST END COMMUNITY HOUSE HELP?
Tenants, boarders, hostel residents, disabled, vulnerable persons, disadvantaged, murris, elderly, students, mentally ill, poor, homeless persons, women, refugees, young people, local resident,s mums and dads, community groups
