NESB Housing Taskforce NSW

NESB Housing Taskforce minutes

Wednesday 7 February 2007

Attendance

Mary Perkins, Kyungja Jung, Nada Marhaha, Katherine Lane, Robert Pinchin, Catherine Williams, Mark Lack, Monica Biel, Kim Chung, Maureen Kingshott, Alla Khlebakova, Rosemary Rumbel

Apologies

Cheryl Webster, Michelle Jones, Liverpool Migrant Resource Centre, Nicole Schlegerer, Roxana Rascon, Manijeh Mohammadi

Chair

Mary Perkins

Minute taker

Mark Lack

Loan sharks and housing finance

Katherine Lane from the Consumer Credit Legal Centre provided information on the sorts of things that people needed to be wary about especially when dealing with non-bank lenders. Her talk included the following points:

• The Consumer Credit Legal Centre provides free services to people with credit and debt problems however if you or your client has a problem with Centrelink then you will need to go to the Welfare Rights Centre.
• Credit and debt is a complicated area and there are lots of shonky operators in the area.  The Consumer Credit Legal Centre will advise people before they sign any documents or contracts.
• Mortgage brokers are anybody who doesn't actually have the funds to lend but arranges the finance.
• There are no cooling off periods for most of contracts in this area so it is far better to people to get advice beforehand in order to prevent problems. 
• Banks are much safer alternatives the loans and finances. 
• People need to get independent advice before signing any loan contract. 
• Note that many financial advisers are not independent because they receive commissions from various financiers, however, there are government funded financial counsellors who are independent and are able to provide advice.
• People should never enter bankruptcy without seeing a financial counsellor.
• The Consumer Credit Legal Centre has lots of information on the website www.cclcnsw.org.au they also have a telephone line where people can seek advice 1800808488

Review of the minutes of the last meeting

No issues were raised

Training

Mary tabled an outline of a proposed training agenda.  She talked with Blanca in the Department of Housing about whether the Department would be willing to host and assist in the delivery of a workshop.  Blanca will get back to Mary about possible dates and places.

Maureen apologised but will get back to the next meeting with information about the second workshop planned for this year.

Multicultural Forum

Mary reported that the terms of reference have not yet been finalised and nor has the membership.  However, the next meeting is on the 27th of February and Blanca is calling for agenda items.  The meeting suggested 2 items for the agenda

• the new eligibility criteria including how the banding system will work, and
• the use of interpreters in community consultations conducted by the Department of Housing.

Assistance to applicants to complete forms for the Department Housing

There was substantial discussion about the problem is that some people have completing the forms.  Many community agencies don't want to help clients to do this because they think it is the Department’s job, on the other hand, the department has a policy of not assisting because it doesn't believe that it is appropriate that departmental officers do this work because they are not sufficiently independent.  There was some discussion at the meeting and it was noted that the new system for assessing eligibility to public housing means that the information that goes on the forms is crucial to the potential success of the application.  This means that assisting a client to complete an application is an important part of a process of advocating for their needs to be met. 

The State Election

Material was distributed about the Every Kid campaign

Next meeting

4 April 2007 - 2:30 pm at ACL: 3 Mary Street, Auburn

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Updated 12-Feb-2007