NESB Housing Taskforce NSW

NESB Housing Taskforce minutes

Wednesday 18 August 2004

Attendance

Mary Perkins (Shelter) Joseph Ferrer (Fairfield Community Resource Centre); Hashim Elhassan (Granville Multicultural Community Centre); Valentino Migotto (Community Support for Refugees Coordinator); Gamal Dawlatly (Accommodation Support SSI) Monica Mazzone (Immigrant Women’s Speakout); Sue Maddrell [Migrant Network Services (Nth Sydney) Ltd]; Cheryl Webster (Anglicare); Maureen Kingshott (Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association)

Item

Discussion

Action

1. Minute taker

Maureen

2. Apologies

Lucy Greenacre; Annie Harvey; Jasmina Bajraktarevic; Esther Rice

Accepted

3. Minutes of June 2004 meeting

Accepted

4. Discussion items and reports

4(a) Email list update

Mary circulated a list of email addresses for present and past TF members for members to update – delete addresses no longer relevant

Shelter will set up a section of their website for TF minutes and other documents and will email TF members when anything is added to this section (minutes, etc.)

* Updated by those present at the meeting

* Mary will organise this

4(b) Real estate agents

Discussion ranged far and wide:

Valentino coordinates the volunteer component of the IHHS Community Support for Refugees – volunteers have a lot of contact with sponsors who see the reactions of real estate agents to refugees and humanitarian entrants (3 or 4 rejections before they find a house to rent – suspect it’s because the people are refugees)

Discussed the need for training volunteers about:

tenants’ rights – Tenants Advice Network can provide this training

anti-discrimination laws and procedures

Hashim circulated information from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) on improving housing rights in Australia and comparing our circumstances with the right to housing set out in international conventions.

Mary contacted the Office of Fair Trading (OFT - who regulate real estate agents and strata bodies) – suggested we do a paper for the OFT about problems new arrivals experience. Our case studies will provide evidence that people are experiencing the following problems:

large families not easily accommodated

people being forced into substandard properties or overcrowded conditions

people have to go to CTTT to get what they need

refugees provide an exaggerated example of what happens to any tenant

there are different services available to refugees and special humanitarian entrants

Mary suggested we work with DFT on a research project using Rental Bond Board (RBB) bond money [see item 4 (f) below] on problems experienced by refugees/ special humanitarian entrants and what DFT can do to resolve them.

Tenants Union is happy to raise our issues at their regular quarterly meetings with the Dept of Fair Trading.

* For details see www.piac.asn.au

* TF members to document case studies of real estate agents’ good and bad practice

as many case studies as possible

email them direct to Mary before the next TF meeting (20/10/04 )

* Mary will collate the case studies

* Mary will raise this at the next Tenants Union meeting with OFT

4(c) Federal election

Shelter is asking all political parties for their housing policies and commitments – for funding for public housing and affordable housing strategies. See National Shelter's Policy Platform – 2004.

* Mary will send responses to TF members to use for lobbying local politicians

* TF members please write to all parties about clients’ lack of access to public housing

4(d) Training – WESTS and Shelter

3 times as many people want to do the training organised with Shelter and WESTS as we can accept.

If people are still interested WESTS and Shelter are happy to run the training again.

Other WESTS training for TF members and colleagues was supposed to happen in August but the flier appears not to have been sent – communication glitch

* Gamal will follow this up with Annie Harvey

4(e) Refugee Council paper on housing needs

Lucy Greenacre is updating Mark green’s draft paper.

She needs TF members’ comments but not everyone has a copy.

Be prepared to discuss the paper at the next TF meeting and finalise it.

* Maureen to email the paper to Mary

* Mary will email it to TF members

* TF members send their comments direct to Lucy at Refugee Council before next TF meeting (20/10/04).

4(f) Partnership proposal for Dept of Housing

History: it arose from a meeting of CSS Coalition and the Community Relations Commission who suggested CSS look for partners.

Agreed that we need to:

start again

keep it simple

work out what we need – a research project that tells us what we need to know and what remedies to recommend

put in a submission to the RBB to use RBB money to fund the research project (RBB guidelines are that money can be used to advance the interests of tenants)

Next steps:

document experiences of people from NESB – our case studies and statistics about refugees and other newly arrived migrants’ experiences with real estate agents will form the basis of our submission to the RBB about:

what’s happening, to whom and where

which of the current mechanisms work/ don’t work

what new strategies are required, eg, community education for migrants; monitoring/ compliance; interpreter/ language strategies (and funding for these)

set up a small group to work on the submission

circulate draft submission to TF members

present submission to the RBB and OFT

We can also offer the Real Estate Institute an article Arne from STARTTS prepared on the benefits of renting to refugees. Can do this now.

* Mary will get the RBB guidelines

* As noted above, all TF members please write up your case studies and email them to Mary at Shelter NSW

* We need TF members to volunteer for the small group

* Cheryl to follow up with STARTTS

4(g). DoH Antisocial behaviour provisions

Amendments to Residential Tenancies Act were passed but haven’t been implemented yet.

Dept of Housing is developing policies for implementation –

Shelter, Tenants Union, NCOSS and Burnside Uniting Care are meeting with Minister’s staff and DoH to raise specific concerns.

For updates see Shelter, Tenants Union and NCOSS websites.

* Contact Maura Boland at DoH if you want to discuss the policies relating to these provisions.

5. Other business

Auburn Humanitarian Network proposal

Discussed the AHN proposal to develop a partnership with local councils and the DoH to provide properties to welcome newly arrived migrants who don’t get DIMIA assistance with housing or anything else.

IHSS assists 7,000 refugees nationally each year but thousands more people arrive and do not get assistance.

Proposal is that partners would provide culturally appropriate housing for a few months or a space where new arrivals could meet and AHN would welcome people and assist people to understand the ‘system’ here.

DoH has sold all the property it had at Villawood for private development.

TF agreed that councils and DoH would not be able to provide the number of properties required. Community housing operators may be able to provide some housing assistance for new arrivals.

There are neighbourhood centres available for people to meet – some are not fully utilized, e.g. Fairfield

* Mary will invite community housing operators to next TF meeting

* Joseph is happy to discuss this with AHN

7. Next TF meeting

2.30 pm, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 at Auburn MRC

Be there!

Top
Updated 1 September 2004

Item	Discussion	Action
1. Minute taker		Maureen
2. Apologies	Lucy Greenacre; Annie Harvey; Jasmina Bajraktarevic; Esther Rice	Accepted
3. Minutes of June 2004 meeting		Accepted
4. Discussion items and reports 4(a) Email list update	Mary circulated a list of email addresses for present and past TF members for members to update – delete addresses no longer relevant Shelter will set up a section of their website for TF minutes and other documents and will email TF members when anything is added to this section (minutes, etc.)	* Updated by those present at the meeting * Mary will organise this
4(b) Real estate agents	Discussion ranged far and wide: Valentino coordinates the volunteer component of the IHHS Community Support for Refugees – volunteers have a lot of contact with sponsors who see the reactions of real estate agents to refugees and humanitarian entrants (3 or 4 rejections before they find a house to rent – suspect it’s because the people are refugees) Discussed the need for training volunteers about: tenants’ rights – Tenants Advice Network can provide this training anti-discrimination laws and procedures Hashim circulated information from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) on improving housing rights in Australia and comparing our circumstances with the right to housing set out in international conventions. Mary contacted the Office of Fair Trading (OFT - who regulate real estate agents and strata bodies) – suggested we do a paper for the OFT about problems new arrivals experience. Our case studies will provide evidence that people are experiencing the following problems: large families not easily accommodated people being forced into substandard properties or overcrowded conditions people have to go to CTTT to get what they need refugees provide an exaggerated example of what happens to any tenant there are different services available to refugees and special humanitarian entrants Mary suggested we work with DFT on a research project using Rental Bond Board (RBB) bond money [see item 4 (f) below] on problems experienced by refugees/ special humanitarian entrants and what DFT can do to resolve them. Tenants Union is happy to raise our issues at their regular quarterly meetings with the Dept of Fair Trading.	* For details see www.piac.asn.au * TF members to document case studies of real estate agents’ good and bad practice as many case studies as possible email them direct to Mary before the next TF meeting (20/10/04 ) * Mary will collate the case studies * Mary will raise this at the next Tenants Union meeting with OFT
4(c) Federal election	Shelter is asking all political parties for their housing policies and commitments – for funding for public housing and affordable housing strategies. See National Shelter's Policy Platform – 2004.	* Mary will send responses to TF members to use for lobbying local politicians * TF members please write to all parties about clients’ lack of access to public housing
4(d) Training – WESTS and Shelter	3 times as many people want to do the training organised with Shelter and WESTS as we can accept. If people are still interested WESTS and Shelter are happy to run the training again. Other WESTS training for TF members and colleagues was supposed to happen in August but the flier appears not to have been sent – communication glitch	* Gamal will follow this up with Annie Harvey
4(e) Refugee Council paper on housing needs	Lucy Greenacre is updating Mark green’s draft paper. She needs TF members’ comments but not everyone has a copy. Be prepared to discuss the paper at the next TF meeting and finalise it.	* Maureen to email the paper to Mary * Mary will email it to TF members * TF members send their comments direct to Lucy at Refugee Council before next TF meeting (20/10/04).
4(f) Partnership proposal for Dept of Housing	History: it arose from a meeting of CSS Coalition and the Community Relations Commission who suggested CSS look for partners. Agreed that we need to: start again keep it simple work out what we need – a research project that tells us what we need to know and what remedies to recommend put in a submission to the RBB to use RBB money to fund the research project (RBB guidelines are that money can be used to advance the interests of tenants) Next steps: document experiences of people from NESB – our case studies and statistics about refugees and other newly arrived migrants’ experiences with real estate agents will form the basis of our submission to the RBB about: what’s happening, to whom and where which of the current mechanisms work/ don’t work what new strategies are required, eg, community education for migrants; monitoring/ compliance; interpreter/ language strategies (and funding for these) set up a small group to work on the submission circulate draft submission to TF members present submission to the RBB and OFT We can also offer the Real Estate Institute an article Arne from STARTTS prepared on the benefits of renting to refugees. Can do this now.	* Mary will get the RBB guidelines * As noted above, all TF members please write up your case studies and email them to Mary at Shelter NSW * We need TF members to volunteer for the small group * Cheryl to follow up with STARTTS
4(g). DoH Antisocial behaviour provisions	Amendments to Residential Tenancies Act were passed but haven’t been implemented yet. Dept of Housing is developing policies for implementation – Shelter, Tenants Union, NCOSS and Burnside Uniting Care are meeting with Minister’s staff and DoH to raise specific concerns. For updates see Shelter, Tenants Union and NCOSS websites.	* Contact Maura Boland at DoH if you want to discuss the policies relating to these provisions.
5. Other business Auburn Humanitarian Network proposal	Discussed the AHN proposal to develop a partnership with local councils and the DoH to provide properties to welcome newly arrived migrants who don’t get DIMIA assistance with housing or anything else. IHSS assists 7,000 refugees nationally each year but thousands more people arrive and do not get assistance. Proposal is that partners would provide culturally appropriate housing for a few months or a space where new arrivals could meet and AHN would welcome people and assist people to understand the ‘system’ here. DoH has sold all the property it had at Villawood for private development. TF agreed that councils and DoH would not be able to provide the number of properties required. Community housing operators may be able to provide some housing assistance for new arrivals. There are neighbourhood centres available for people to meet – some are not fully utilized, e.g. Fairfield	* Mary will invite community housing operators to next TF meeting * Joseph is happy to discuss this with AHN
7. Next TF meeting	2.30 pm, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 at Auburn MRC	Be there!