Jeanine Purdy Aboriginal Legal Service of WA Dennis Eggington Kate Allingham Tonia Brajich Tammy Solonec Roebourne – Women for Stronger Communities Deanna McGowan Robyn Churnside CPSU/CSA Lea McKay Shelter WA Karel Eringa Paul Pendergast Heidi Stewart Jim Anthony Bronwyn Kitching Indigenous Women’s Congress Helen McNeair Telethon Institute for Child Health Research Colleen Hayward Jackaranda Community Centre- Victoria Park Youth Accommodation Marie Austen Tenancy Advice Service WA Inc Donna Bannister Rob Spinks John Perrett Kate Allingham Katanning Aboriginal Community Meryl Hansen Hazel Hansen Bev Eades WACOSS Lanie Chopping Alan Carter Lynn MacLaren Irina Cattalini Kimberley Community Legal Service Inc. Murray Jones Rosemary van Keppel Annie Wilson Government Agencies REPRESENTING ORGANISATION MEMBER REPRESENTING ORGANISATION MEMBER
68. Training to be provided to DH staff who conduct inspections to ensure that they are sensitive to the possibility of the inspection process creating feelings of humiliation, degradation, worthlessness etc, and that officers be instructed as to appropriate standards of behaviour that are to be adopted. This training is to be to of an accredited standard and evaluated on a regular basis. Recommendation Supported DH Currently being assessed under Substantive Equality (SE) NIA as Department’s current service area 69. No inspections to be conducted without reasonable notice to the tenant. Such notice is not to be the leaving of a card or letter without confirmation of its receipt. Routine inspections are not to be conducted at more frequent intervals than every six months. Recommendation Supported DH Policy and practice state that notices are sent in accordance with the RTA 1987 70. That Homeswest officers be sensitive to the power imbalance between themselves and their tenants when seeking to inspect with the agreement of the tenant at the time or immediately before, the time of entry as provided for by RTA 1987, S46(1)(h). Recommendation Supported DH SE As above 71. Property condition report forms to be revised. Full details of any defects to be noted and photographed and copies provided to the tenant. Any hand written material to be legible and if the tenant is unable to read it, it will be typed and provided to the tenant. All inspections to be conducted jointly, at a time convenient to the prospective tenant and the DH, and the prospective tenant is to be encouraged to bring a support person or advocate with him or her . Partially Implemented DH SE As above Finding a Place recommendations in chronological order General status within Dept Respon- sibility General Description of extent of implementation as of December 2010 72. The DH to review what is considered necessary to meet ‘property standards’ to ensure that account is taken of: - the age of the property. - the condition of the property when it was first let to the tenant. - any maintenance that has been performed during tenancy. - any maintenance requested by the tenant which has not been performed. - whether maintenance performed was inspected. - whether the tenant made any complaint about the standard of maintenance performed. - the number of adults and children living in the property. - any disabilities or medical conditions of any of the tenants or their dependants Not Currently Addressed DH SE as above
112. Living in a refuge to escape domestic violence should be accepted as a prima facie reason for placement in priority housing regardless of prior debts or other previous tenancy listing matters. The safety and security of women and children in this situation is paramount. Partially Implemented DH This is policy 113. The Department of Community Development (DCD) to consider the provision of support services, including measures to assist perpetrators of domestic violence to find alternative housing, and other support to enable victims of domestic violence and their families to remain where possible in the family home. Not Responsible for Implementation EOC 114. Review the requirement of the tenant to furnish proof of domestic violence such as police reports as a precondition to assistance. The welfare of the victim of violence, including any children involved, should be the paramount consideration in these cases. Partially Implemented DH Is now part of policy 115. A comprehensive review of Homeswest’s administrative practices to be undertaken, including a review of decision making, record management and property management processes, by an appropriate authority, particularly in terms of transparency and accountability. Recommendation Supported DH This is policy 116. Policies to be applied consistently, save that discretion to depart from the policy to be exercised only in favour of the tenant or prospective tenant. Recommendation Supported DH 117. Where senior DH officers are required to exercise their discretion, as a result of a priority housing application falling outside existing guidelines, then this discretion is to be exercised in favour of the tenant in order to meet the tenant’s urgent housing need. Recommendation Supported DH Issue likely to be impacted upon with change to assessment for priority waitlist Finding a Place recommendations in chronological order General status within Dept Respon- sibility General Description of extent of implementation as of December 2010 118. That guidelines for discretionary decision making be established to ensure all relevant information is given due consideration (for example, number and age of children/elderly in the household, health issues, viable housing alternatives etc). Recommendation Supported DH As above 119. A register to be kept of all decisions where a discretionary decision was made and the reasons for this decision. Not Currently Addressed DH
housing. 157. That a Council of appropriate State Government Departments and Authorities be established to ensure that any Government owned vacant properties that become available are allocated for occupation by public housing tenants. Not Currently Addressed DH 158. Promotion of wider understanding of programs Aboriginal people can access, how they can access them and the processes required. Recommendation Supported DH 159. Whilst recognising the value of the various support programs provided, the DH to be cognisant that these programs are voluntary and reluctance by a tenant to participate in a particular program should not be taken to indicate lack of commitment by a tenant to their tenancy. Any remarks reflecting this view to be removed from tenant’s files. Participation in these programs not to be made a condition of acceptance by the DH for entry into a housing list nor to be made a condition for the provision of further assistance to the tenant by the DH. Not Currently Addressed DH The non-engagement in services and or programs is frequently cited by the Dept when leases are terminated. 160. The DH to respect the independence of the various community based bodies, which it funds, to provide assistance to tenants and to respect the privacy of tenants utilising these services. Recommendation Supported DH Bodies funded are those operating Stronger Families, SHAP programs 161. Where tenant advocacy services are lacking, the DH to consider providing some support to appropriate existing community groups, which could act as tenant advocates. Not Currently Addressed DH 162. The Inquiry notes that the Tenant Advice Service (TAS) states that 60% of persons contacting the homeless helpline in 2001 received no assistance at all. The DH is to immediately review its practices and report to the Implementation Group on measures to provide immediate assistance to homeless persons. Recommendation Supported DH Funding and responsibility for Homelessness comes under the Department for Child Protection. Finding a Place recommendations in chronological order General status within Dept Respon- sibility General Description of extent of implementation as of December 2010 163. All housing support services be funded independently of Homeswest, that funding to Aboriginal support services particularly be increased, and that an Aboriginal Tenant Advocacy Service be established and adequately resourced. Not Currently Addressed DH 164. That before Aboriginal clients be encouraged to apply for home ownership that they be fully informed of the additional costs they will be Recommendation Supported DH Social Housing Taskforce reinforces this recommendation and EOC states it is a
required to meet in order to achieve home ownership. voluntary participation 165. That the DH be encouraged to work with local authorities to develop appropriate housing for Aboriginal Seniors in consultation with local Aboriginal leaders and elders. Not Currently Addressed DH References Australian Bureau of Statistics: Australian Population and Housing Census 2006 www.abs.gov.au Beer, A – Eviction and Housing Management (AHURI 2006) Behrendt L. Indigenous Policy – “Three Quick Fixes in Three Minutes” Extract from a publication from the edited by Mark Davis and Miriam Lyons. Department of Housing – Caretaker Tenancy Database Department of Housing Website Equal Opportunity Commission – Accommodating Everyone (2009) Kunnen N – Strategic Direction for Housing Service Delivery Review Report (Department of Housing and Works and Curtin University 2008) REIWA Website Social Housing Taskforce Report – (WA Department of Housing 2009)