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BoardingHousesEducationCampaign

FinalReport

June2016

MargaretDiNicola

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Contents

Introduction 3HistoryofBoardingHousesinNSW 4WomenResidents:ahiddenpopulation 5TheLongRoadtoRights 5IntroductionofBoardingHouseLegislation 7BoardingHousesEducationProject 8ProjectActivitiesandOutcomes 10TheFuture 20Conclusion 20

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IntroductionThisreportcompletesthetwo-yearBoardingHousesEducationProject(TheProject)managedbytheTenants’UnionofNSW(TU).TheProjectcommenced inApril2014with theaimto“developand implementaneducation program to ensure that stakeholders, including residents of boardinghousesareawareof thenew law inNSWand itsapplicationandhavetheskills tomonitorand takeactionunder the relevantprovisionsof theBoardingHousesAct2012”(theAct).Thepassingof theActwas the first timethatoccupancy rightsbetweenanownerand resident became regulated. As the boarding houses legislation differedconsiderablyfromthatoftheResidentialTenanciesAct2010(NSW),itwasidentifiedthatacommunityeducationprogramonthenewlawneededtobeimplemented.The Project focussed on the inner west suburbs of Sydney, and the LocalGovernment Areas (LGAs) of the Cities of Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.Between them, these four areas containmore than50%of the registered generalboardinghousesinNSW.1ToachievetheaimsoftheProjectanumberofresourcesweredeveloped,rangingfrom a hotline service, business card and brochure for residents through to afactsheet, posters, e-bulletin, newsletter and training for those in the communityservicessectorworkingwithboardinghouseresidentsOverthecourseoftheProject,itbecameclearthatasignificantamountofresourcedevelopmentandcapacitybuildingwouldneedtobeundertaken inordertomeetthe overall aims of the funded Project. During the past two years, an action-reflection approach has been applied to understand how best to design andimplement an education program for boarding house residents and otherstakeholders.2 This has resulted in this Project now being understood as thenecessary firstphase ina two-phaseproject. Thework thathasbeenundertakenoverthepasttwoyearshascomprisedaresourceandcapacity-buildingphase. It isrecommended that thenextphaseof theproject includepolicydevelopment bothprior to and following a review of the Act and continuing education work asresourcesallows.Thisreportissetoutinfoursections:

o ThefirstsetsoutthehistoryofboardinghousesinNSW.o ThesecondintroducesanddescribestheaimsoftheProject.o ThethirddetailstheProject’sactivitiesandoutcomes.o ThefourthsetsoutrecommendationsforthefutureoftheProject.

1 Definitions of ‘boarding house’ are set out in Appendix B. 2 Observation following action to determine the next action again followed by observation

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HistoryofboardinghousesinNSW

Although boarding houses, particularly in the inner suburbs of Sydney, are oftenstereotyped as accommodation for single men, down on their luck, oftenunemployed, living on government benefits and possibly suffering from drug andalcoholabuseandmentalhealthproblems,thathasnotalwaysbeenthesituation.3FromearlyyearsofcolonisationinSydneytothemid-20thcenturyboardinghouseswereacustomarywayofcateringfortheaccommodationneedsofsingle,workingclassmenoneitherashorttermbasisastheytravelledbetweenruralareasandthecityforwork,oronapermanentbasisasthecasualoccupancyarrangementssuitedtheir lifestyle needs. Boarding houses also catered to migrants looking for workbeforemovingintoprivateaccommodationeitherinthelocalareawherejobscouldstillbefound,orintosuburbsfurtherfromtheinnercity.In the 1970s three changeshappened to the inner city landscape that altered thewayboardinghousesoperated

o Firstly,therewasanincreaseinthenumberofaffordableflatstobuyorrentwith a subsequent decline in the number of residents in boarding houseaccommodation.

o Secondly,therewasadeclineinthemanufacturingindustryintheinnercityresultinginafurtherdropinthenumberofmenneedingaccommodation.

o Thirdly, mental health facilities became deinstitutionalised leaving manyvulnerable people seeking a cheap form of housing. As boarding houseowners had lost not only their residents but also a source of income,boarding houses became magnets for people seeking affordableaccommodation near support services that were located in inner citysuburbs.

Asmallchangemaybehappeningintheprofileofresidentsininnercityboardinghouses.FromcallerstotheTenant’sUnionboardinghouseshotline,itappearsthatthere are full time workers, seemingly on good wages, moving into the moreexpensive,renovatedboardinghouses.At 31 December 2015, there were 12,679 people living in 906 registered generalboardinghouses.Of thatnumber, 8376or64.53%weremenand4604or35.47%werewomen.4Thesefiguresarebelievedreflectsignificantunderreporting.Over50%of the registeredgeneralboardinghousesare located in the innerwestsuburbsofSydney,theCityofSydney,andtheLGAsofNewcastleandWollongong.53 Although numbers are not available, homeless agency managers indicate that drug and alcohol dependency usually includes mental health illness. 4 (Manager Specialist Programs (Boarding Houses) Dept of Family and Community Services, private communication via email, 19/4/16). 5 Based on a mailout in December 2014 to 487 registered boarding houses in the local council areas of Sydney, Marrickville, Ashfield, Canada Bay, Canterbury, Strathfield and the LGAs Wollongong and Newcastle

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Womenresidents:ahiddenpopulationAlthoughwomenarenearlyonethirdoftheresidentpopulationtheyappeartobemore hidden within the boarding house population than men. There is someindicationhoweverthisisagrowingpopulation.No women were seen on visits to boarding houses undertaken with this projectAlthough men were seen in their rooms or in a community area (usually thebackyard), when the owner/manager of a boarding house was asked whether awomanwas in residence, theanswerwas “they’reout”or “atwork”. Inaddition,during a letter box drop of boarding houses in January 2016, only men wereobservedatdoorwaysorsittingonverandas.Aconversationwithone femaleresidentsuggestedthatwomenaremore likely to‘blendin’withcrowds:spendingtimeat libraries,takingupopportunitiestostudy,rideonpublictransportorparticipateinactivitiesorganisedbycommunityagencies.One resident was aware of a mother and her child in a boarding house, butconversations with caseworkers suggest that mothers and children are separatedwhen boarding house accommodation is the only option for women who havechildren. Once employment is found or if alternative private accommodation isobtained,mothersandchildrenarereunited.A 2014 publication of ACT Shelter Home Truths – Older women’s housingvulnerability in theACT shows thatwomenarenot interested in living inboardinghouses“astheirindependenceistooimportanttothemandtheybelieveditwouldbecompromisedinthistypeofsituation…benoisy…theremightbepeopletheymightnotgetalongwith…orviolentorunsafepeople.”6This same survey indicated thatwomenwanted a place to live so that they couldhavetheirchildrenandgrandchildrenaround–asituationthattraditionalboardinghouses in inner city areas are not likely to cater for. It is probable thatwomen’shousingneedsaresimilarinNSW.AstudyisunderwayinSydneybytheSydneyWomen’sHousingAlliance(SWHA)intothepossibilityofhavingwomen-onlyboardinghouses.Thestudyis initsveryearlystagesanditisnotpossibleheretoindicatewhattheoutcomeofthatstudymaybe.ThelongroadtorightsInthelate1970sagroupofpeoplewhoincludedtenancyworkers,churchmembersandstaff fromnon-governmentagenciescametogethertoworkontenants’ rightslegislation.Boardersandlodgers,whoatthetimehadnotenancyrights,werealsoincludedinthegroup’sfocus.

6 http://www.actshelter.net.au/announcements/home-truths-older-womens-housing-vulnerability-in-the-act-1 P21 accessed 8/6/16

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Thehistoryofthecampaignforresidentialrightsforboardersandlodgersprovedtobe a long and frustrating one as workers were not successful in getting boardinghouseslegislationpassedformorethan30years.Somemilestonesinthecampaignforboardinghouserightsinclude:

o 1987:TheResidentialTenanciesActexcludedboardersandlodgersfromtheAct: theMinister for ConsumerAffairs advised that a committeewould beestablishedtodeliberateonparticularproblemsofboardersandlodgersandconsiderationwouldbegiventoanextensionoftheActbasedonthecontextofthereviewcommittee’srecommendations.7

o October1990:theTenancyCommissionsubmittedareportonthestatusofboardersandlodgerstotheMinisterforHousing

o March1991:anannouncementwasmadethattheMinisterwouldintroducenewlegislationintoParliament

o May1991: the debate on the second reading of theBillwas adjournedonmotion

o August 1991: the Bill was re-introduced to the Legislative Assembly. TheGovernmenttooknofurtheractionandthematterlapsed8

o 1997:BLAGdraftedanewBoardingHousesBill.NoBillwasintroducedo 1998September:anannouncementofafurtherenquiryintothedesirability

ofboardinghouselegislation.Actionlapsed.o 1998: The Department of Fair Trading established a working party to

investigate the need for regulation to protect the needs of boarders andlodgers

o 2003:theworkingpartywasstillconsideringsubmissions.o 2005: proposal put forward by the TU which would be: “a model of law

reformbasedonoccupancyagreements. In summary, thismodelwouldbebroad and non-prescriptive….. It would use terms like ‘reasonable’, whichwouldgivetheTribunalflexibilitytodecidemattersonacase-by-casebasis.For example, what may be appropriate for a boarding house may not beappropriateforstudentlodgingaccommodation”.9

o 2008:Interdepartmental Committeemet to look at reform to the boardinghousesector

o 2010:ResidentialTenancyActpassedwhichagaindidnot includeprovisionforboardersandlodgers

o 2012:Coroner’sreportintothedeathofsixresidentsofaboardinghouseo 2012: Boarding Houses Act passed giving residents of boarding houses

occupancyrightsforthefirsttime

7 (NSW Hansard, 1 April 1987, P9735). 8 Ecumenical Council Briefing Notes on Boarding Houses Legislation, undated, unpublished 9Alex Azarov,Boarders and Lodgers Information Paper, Draft, undated

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IntroductionofboardinghouselegislationTheBoardingHousesAct2012wasintroducedintolawbytheNSWParliamentinanattempttomandaterightsforpeoplelivinginboardinghousesinNSW.ThiswasthefirsttimethatsuchlegislationhadbeenenactedinNSW.TheBoardingHousesActcoversfourmainareas:

1. RegistrationTheneedforownerstoregistertheirboardinghouses

• ownersneedtoregistertheirpremiseswiththeOfficeofFairTrading

2. DefinitionAregisterableboardinghouseis:

• aplacethataccommodatesfiveormorepayingresidents• thosefivepeopledonotincludetheproprietor,managerormembers

oftheirfamilies• the residence does not include hotels,motels, backpackers hostels,

agedcarehomesorotherpremisesexcludedbytheAct

3. LocalCouncilsTheroleoflocalCouncilsundertheActisto:

• inspectandenforcesafetyandaccommodationstandards inexistingboarding houses. They were given the power to fine operators ofunregisteredboardinghousesorto issueordersforboardinghousesto inspect and enforce safety and accommodation standards inexisting boarding houses. They were given the power to fineoperators of unregistered boarding houses or to issue orders forboardinghousestomeetcertainbuilding,safetyandaccommodationstandards.10

4. Occupancyprinciplesforresidents

OccupancyprinciplesforresidentsundertheActinclude:• Beinggivenacopyofanagreement;• Knowtherulesoftheboardinghousebeforemovingin;• Notberequiredtopayapenaltyforbreadingeithertherulesofthe

boardinghouseortheagreement;• Liveinpremisesthatarereasonablyclean;• Liveinpremisesthatareinareasonablestateofrepair;• Liveinpremisesthatarereasonablysecure;• Knowwhyandhowyouragreementmaybeended;• Knowhowmuchnoticewillbegivenifouragreementistoend;• Notbeevictedwithoutreasonablewrittennotice;

10http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ftw/Tenants_and_home_owners/Boarding_houses.page (accessed 10/5/16)

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• Havequietenjoymentofthepremises;• Begiventheopportunitytoresolvedisputesusingreasonabledispute

resolutionprocesses;• Not be charged more than 2 weeks’ occupancy fee as a security

deposit;• Receive your security deposit back with 14 days of the end of the

agreementexceptforspecificcosts;• Begiven4weeks’noticeofanincreasetotheoccupancyfee;• Begivenreceiptsforanymoneyyoupaytotheproprietor;• Be told what utilities you will be asked to pay for and how the

changeswillbecalculatedbythetimeyouenterintotheagreement.

BoardingHousesEducationProjectThe TU NSW received funding from the NSW Government through NewtownNeighbourhood Centre to conduct an education program aimed at informingresidentsandotherstakeholdersofthenewlegislationanditsvariousapplications,and developing their skills in monitoring and taking action under the relevantprovisionsoftheAct.Aparttimeprojectco-ordinatorcommencedinApril2014.AnexpertProjectReferenceGroupwas formedtoguidethedirectionandprovideongoing advice to the Project. The ReferenceGroupmet for the first time in July2014. Members were drawn from local stakeholders with a particular interestand/orexpertise inboardinghouse issues and comprised staff fromTU,NewtownNeighbourhoodCentre,Shelter,PublicInterestAdvocacyCentre’sHomelessPersonsLegal Service, Streetcare (a consumer group of people with lived experience ofboarding houses), Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association andDtarawarra(ResourceServiceforAboriginalTenantsAdviceandAdvocacyServices).InconsideringtheoverallaimsoftheProjectandthecurrentresourcesavailable,theReference Group agreed to the following priority activities over the life of theProject:

• Aseriesofresourcesbedevelopedforbothresidentsandserviceprovidersastherewasascarcityofinformationinthepublicarena.

• Auserfriendlyinformationresourceforresidentstobeprioritised.• Meetings be held with boarding house residents to inform the form and

contentofanyresourcesdevelopedonresidents’rights.• Contact bemadewithorganisations that provid services andor support to

residentsofboardinghousestoensurethoseorganisationsbecameinformedof the Act, how to apply the Act’s occupancy principles and appropriatereferralsforlegaladvocacy.

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• Visits be made to local councils to find out what impact the Act had oncouncils and what, if any, action was being taken against owners ofunregisteredboardinghouses.

Theseactivitiesweresubsequentlydevelopedintoaprojectplanbytheco-ordinatorand undertaken between August 2014 and June 2016, as outlined in the ProjectActivitiesandOutcomessectionbelow.GuidingprinciplesThreeguidingprincipleshaveshapedtheformationoftheProject;

1. Anaction-reflectionapproachisappropriategiventheexploratorynatureoftheProject.

2. The Project will be informed by the available evidence and research intocircumstancesofboardinghouseresidentsinNSW.

3. Collaboration and strong networks will provide a strong and effectiveapproachtoboardinghouseeducation.

Action-reflectionapproachAn action-reflection approach was applied to the Project in recognition of itsessentially exploratorynature. From theoutset of theProject, itwas clear that asignificant amount of learning about boarding houses, boarding houses residentsand appropriate educative approacheswould need to be undertaken prior to thewidespreaddevelopmentandimplementationofstrategies.Thiswasprincipallydue to two factors: thenovelnatureofboardinghouse rights,whichhadneverbeforebeenenshrined in legislation inNSW;andthe lackofdataand informationavailableaboutunregisteredboardinghousesand their residents.ThismeantthattheProjectneededto:

1. Commit resources to identifying, describing and analysing unregisteredboardinghousesinNSW(oneoftheearlyfindingsfromtheProjectwasthatsuchdataisunavailable).

2. Develop appropriate resources for residents, service providers and otherstakeholders.

3. Buildthecapacityofresidents,servicesandotherstakeholderstounderstandandapplythenewlegislation.

TheProjectplanthereforedevelopedintoatwo-phaseapproachtotheoverallgoalofprovidingeducationonboardinghousereform:

1. Resourceandcapacitybuildingphase.2. Recommendationsforcontinuedimplementation,monitoringandevaluation

phase.The current Boarding Houses Education Project became the first of these phases,while it is anticipated that the second phase will be implemented by the TU asresourcesbecomeavailable.

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Researchandevidence-informedTherearetwosignificantways inwhichtheProjecthasbeeninformedbyresearchandevidence:

1. AninitialscanoftheavailableliteratureanddatatoestablishwhatisknownaboutboardinghousesandboardinghouseresidentsinNSWwasundertakenattheoutsetoftheProject.Thisscanrevealedthatdataonboardinghousesand their residents is very limited, leading to strategies to gain furtherinformationsuchasinterviewsoflocalserviceprovidersandCouncilworkers.

2. The Evaluation of the Boarding Houses Act (2012-2017) is an interimevaluation of the Boarding Houses Act conducted by NewtownNeighbourhood Centre and Western Sydney University. The Project Co-ordinatorhasworkedwiththeresearchersonthisprojecttounderstandandincorporateitsfindingsintotheBoardingHousesEducationProject.

AcollaborativeapproachThe importance of collaboration was recognised early in the project, as a keymechanismfor:a)findingandsharinginformation,andb)embeddingoverthelongterm a service delivery method that will enhance outcomes for boarding houseresidentsbyenablingacommonapproachtoboardinghouserights. ThreesetsofcollaborativenetworkswereestablishedaspartoftheProject:

1. Networks within TU to increase its organisational knowledge and skill inboardinghouseissues

2. External networks to promote and share knowledge, understanding andapproaches to boarding house issues among local agencies and otherstakeholders.

3. The experience and expertise of the Newtown Neighbourhood CentreBoardingHouseprojectwascrucial to theunderstandingof thecontext forboardinghouseresidents

ProjectactivitiesandoutcomesFollowing the advice of the Project Reference Group, in a staged approach tobuildingresourcesandcapacityinboardinghouserightstheco-ordinatorundertookthefollowingactivitieswithassociatedintendedoutcomes11:Activityareas IntendedoutcomeDevelopmentofresourcesforresidents Increasedknowledgeandawarenessof

boarding house rights among localboardinghouseresidents

Development of resources for localagenciesandotherstakeholders

Increasedknowledgeandawarenessofboarding house issues among localserviceproviders

Provision of training to local agenciesandotherstakeholders

Increased skills in addressing boardinghouse issues among local service

11 A detailed list of activities undertaken is set out in Appendix A.

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providersNetwork development among localagenciesandotherstakeholders

Increased collaboration and networkstrengthamonglocalserviceproviders

EstablishmentofinternalTUnetwork Increased knowledge and skill amongTUstaffandthedevelopmentofTUasalearningorganisation

Stakeholder consultation on theBoarding House Act and itsimplementationandeffects

Increased knowledge of theimplementation and effects of theBoarding House Act among localnetworksto informTU’spolicyandlawreformwork

ResourcesforresidentsPriortothecommencementoftheEducationProject,tworesourcesweredevelopedbyTU:aBoardingHousesFactsheetandanissueofTenantNewsBoardingHouses:ThenandNow.Bothresourceswereusedinthemailoutto487boardinghousesinDecember2014.All3000issuesofTenantNewshavebeendistributedtothegeneralcommunity, homeless agencies and boarding house residents. A pull out posterformedthecentrefoldoftheTenantNews.DetailsofdistributionofbothresourcescanbefoundinappendixA.BusinesscardAmeeting was held in September 2014 with former boarding house residents todeveloprelevantmaterialsthatwouldbeusefulinthelongtermaswellastheshortterm. A variety of ideas weresuggested with the final choicebeing a resource in business cardformat.The card was designed to includeinformation on the occupancyprinciples. In addition, it wasdecided to procure a dedicatedhotlinenumberthatresidentscouldcall for help and that free-callnumber was included in theinformation displayed on thebusinesscard.InApril2015aninitialprintrunof25,000businesscardswasdone.Thecardsweredistributedto:

• AllTAASinNSW.• 247 agencies who work with boarding house residents recorded on the

Project’sdistributionlist.• 140boardinghousesinSurryHills,DarlinghurstandRedfern(1400cards).• Ninefoodvansservicingtheinnercitysuburbs(900cards).

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• InteragencymeetingsattheCityofSydneyandMarrickvilleCouncil.• HomelessConnectdaysatSydneyandParramatta.• Homelessagencyevents.• SevenCouncilmeetings.• Politicians’offices.• Projectdeliveredtrainingsessions.• CommunityLegalCentresandLegalAidOffices.• SocialworkdepartmentsathospitalsintheProject’scatchmentarea.• LibrariessituatedintheProject’scatchmentarea.

Websites such as TU, Legal Information and Access Centre and Law and JusticeFoundationalsofeaturedtheresources.

All25,000cardsweredistributedandanotherprintrunof5,000isunderwayatthetimeofwritingthisreport.Thebusinesscardhasbeenthemostsuccessful,readilyrecognisedandimmediatelyuseful resource developed. Some callers to the hotline number explain that theycarryacardintheirwallet;oneagencystaffmembersawaresidenttakeoneoutofhiswallettoshowthathecarried itaroundforatimewhenhemayneedit inthefuture.Otherresidentshavesaidthatfriendscarriedmorethanoneandhandedoneoverwhenrequired.HotlinephonenumberTheTUdedicatedboardinghousehotlinecommencedinApril2015andcallstothehotline averageoneperweek. Enquiries come from residents or service providerstaff calling on behalf of a resident. The nature of the enquiry is recorded forstatisticalpurposesanddetailsoftheenquirerarethenforwardedtothelocalTAASofficewitharequesttomakecontactwiththecallerapriority.Of the 34 calls received between April 2015 and May 2016 regarding occupancyrights, 15 concerned eviction and 2 for loss of possessions, with the balanceconcerningsuchissuesasnoise,cleanlinessandutilities.A smaller number of calls to the hotline are not directly related to the terms ofreferenceoftheProjecte.g.askingforanaddressofaboardinghousewherethereisavacancy;askingforastaffmembertoaccompanythemwhenviewingaboardinghouseorgenerictenancymattersaskingtobeconnecteddirectlytoaTAASservice.Callers looking for accommodation are referred to the Newtown NeighbourhoodCentre,whiletenancyenquiriesaredirectedtothecaller’slocalTAASservice.TheboardinghouseshotlinenumberwillcontinuetooperateafterthecompletionoftheBoardingHousesProject.The intended outcome of developing these resources was to increase theknowledge and awareness of boardinghouse rights among local boardinghouseresidents. Thosemethodshaveprovedeffective.Callers to theboardinghouseshotline have identified receiving the number through a letter box drop while

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othershavesaidtheypickedupinformationintheirlocallibraryandothersweregiventhehotlinenumberbyahomelessagencytheyhadcalled.ResourcesforserviceprovidersTheEvaluationoftheBoardingHousesActIntervalReportNumber2,conductedbyNewtown Neighbourhood Centre and Western Sydney University, shows that inregardtoseekingassistancefordisputes28%ofresidentsinterviewedwouldgotoacommunitycentre;9%tolegalaidand6%toacaseworker.Basedonthosefigures,aconcerted effortwasmade to informhomeless agencies, community centres, andlegal centres of residents’ rights in regard to occupancy principles through thedistributionofboardinghouseresources.Fromthecommencementof theProject inApril2014searchesweremade to findout which service providers already existed that supported boarding houseresidents. From that search, a distribution list was developed with the aim ofestablishingcontactwithorganisationssothatastheProjectdevelopedinformationcould be easily circulated to them about information resources, including trainingopportunities.Thenameson thedistribution listwere collected fromgoogle search; interagencymeetingsattheCityofSydney,NorthSydneyandMarrickvilleCouncilsandhomelessconnectdaysatSydneyandParramattaandvisitstoserviceprovidersworkinginthehomelesssectorwhogavecontactinformationonotherproviders.Thedistributionlisteventuallygrewtoinclude247individualsandorganisations.Newtown Neighbourhood Centre (NNC) has become a hub for disseminatinginformation to boarding house residents. Staff at NNC have distributed businesscardsadvertisingthehotlinenumbertoresidentsseekinglegalhelp.SeveralcallerstothehotlinehavestatedthatitwasthroughtheProject’sresourcespickedupfromNNCthattheybecameawareofwhattheycoulddotoasserttheirresidentialrights.NNC itself operatesoutreach sessions that includes legal assistance specifically forboardinghouseresidents.ThelegalassistanceisundertakenbyalocalTAASoffice.OnboardebulletinAn ebulletin entitled Onboard wasdevelopedtoupdatehomelessagenciesand TAAS services about the resourcesbeing developed for the Project; toadvertise those resources; to advertisetraining available and to disseminateinformationtothoseagenciesthatmaynothavereceiveditotherwise.BetweenAugust2014andMarch2016,sixebulletinswereemailedtothenetwork.The bulletins included topics such as: advertising project resources; advertising

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trainingopportunities;utilisingcasestudiestoexplainthelaw;answeringfrequentlyaskedquestionsandpointingtoresearchonboardinghouseissues.The most common response from recipients of Onboard was for requests forresourcesandtoacceptoffersoftraining.Inresponse:

• 1800businesscardsweresentto23agencies.• 280brochuresweresentto12agencies.• 49postersweresentto12agencies.• 40individualsenrolledintrainingsessions.

[thisisinadditiontotheTU’sowndistributionstrategies]BrochureandposterFollowing the completion of the business card, a poster was co-designed withboarding house residents who attend NNC for advice and recreation. With theirpermission,photosweretakenoftheresidentsandthosephotoswereusedtoputon the front cover of a brochure and poster. The same people were interviewedabout their experiences of living in a boarding house and those stories andcomments were included in thematerial. The poster and brochurewith‘real’people’sphotosandtheircomments,was intendedtomakeamore personal connection with thegeneralpublic.Seventhousandbrochures,ofwhich3000 were distributed to libraries,were posted to more than 247different homeless agencies, legalcentres, hospitals, politicians andTenant Advice and AdvocacyServices(TAAS).It was well received by homelessagencystaffbut it isnotpossibletoquantify whether brochures andposters, in particular, have led toaction being taken by residentsregardingoccupancyrights.TenantsRightsManualAfurtherresourceistherecentlyupdatedchapteronBoardingHouses,whichcanbefoundintheTenantsRightsManualapublicationofTUonalltenancymatters.12

12 http://www.legalanswers.sl.nsw.gov.au/guides/tenants_rights_manual/boarding_houses/boarding_houses.html

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TrainingforlocalagenciesPriortotheappointmentoftheProjectCo-ordinator,alimitedamountoftrainingonboardinghouse issueswasprovidedby theTU,butonly to theTAASnetwork. InbuildingtheProjectplan,theCo-ordinatorvastlyexpandedtherangeofthistraining,bothtoaddressthenewlegislationandtheassociatedrightsframework,andalsotodisseminate training toamuchwideraudienceof local agencies,Council staff andlegalandmedicalstaff.Two hundred and fifty-three individuals from homeless agencies, council offices,legalcentres,andmedicalorganisationsattended16trainingsessionsbetweenJune2015and June2016. Of those253people,168attended training in theirplaceofemployment organised either as a result of advertising in Onboard or by directcontactbytheProjectCo-ordinator.Theremaining45werestafffromTAASs.Freetrainingwasofferedintwoways:attendancethroughTUcourseswherelegal,advocacy and project staff facilitatedwhole day sessions and secondly, directly tohomelessagencyworkplaceswhereTUadvocacyandproject staffoffered trainingtailored to time frames and the specific requirement needed by the differentorganisations.The success of engaging local service providers in training and therefore furtheropportunitiesforeducationanddiscussionindicatesthattheintendedoutcomeofincreasedknowledgeandawarenessofboardinghouseissuesamonglocalserviceprovidershasbeenmet.TrainingviaTUcoursesFive training sessions took place between June 2014 and June 2015. Originallydeveloped for staff from TAAS offices with the emphasis on legal training, thesessionswereexpandedto includewhatpracticalactioncouldbe takenbyagencystaffwhenconfrontedbyaboardinghouseresidentinneed.Thirty-one TAAS staff received training via this approach, as did 42 staff fromhomelessagencies.Forhomelessagencystafftheirrequestscentredaroundtheactiontheycouldtake,andtheadvicetheycouldgive(apartfromlegalhelp)toresidents.

TailoredtrainingforindividualagenciesTen training sessions were undertaken at work place venues between September2014 and November 2015. One hundred and eighty-two individuals receivedtraining:

• 133fromhomelessagencies.• 15atLegalAid.• 20stafffromalocalcouncil.• 14receivedtraininginTAASoffices.

Overallresponsestotrainingevaluationswerepositive.Commentsincluded:

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o Thankyou!Greatfacilitation&veryknowledgeabletrainer.o Thankyouforthisinsightfulpresentation!o Ienjoyedhearingfromotherindividualsontheday,theirstoriesand

experiencesandthefactthatyouencouragedtheseinteractionso Knowledgeofpresentersandabilitytorespondtoenquiriesandkeepflowof

trainingwasexcellento Overallreallyimpressed,foundthedayveryuseful.Thankyou!o CasestudiesveryhelpfulinunderstandingapplicationofActandgeneral

support/advocacyoptionsforresidents

NetworkdevelopmentMany of the activities undertaken as part of the Project have been intended todeveloptheknowledgeandcollaborativecapacitiesofthelocalservicenetworkontherightsofboardinghouseresidents.Theseactivitiesinclude:

• CreatingaforumviatheProjectReferenceGroupfordiversestakeholderstobeginaconversationaboutboardinghousereforminNSW.

• The design, development and delivery of theOnboard ebulletin,which hascontributedtothedevelopmentofacommonlanguageandcentralisedpointofinformationforlocalserviceproviderswithaninterestinboardinghouseissues.Thisspecialisednetworknowhas450members.

• Theprovisionoftrainingforumsasanopportunityforlocalserviceprovidersto network and develop collaborative approaches to boarding houseactivities.

• Beginningaprogramofstakeholderconsultationsinordertounderstandandanalyseacollectiveviewfromlocalserviceprovidersandotherstakeholdersonboardinghouseissues.

Developingthesenetworkshadarangeofeffects,someofwhichwereunintendedconsequencesoftheProject.Theseincluded:

• Expanding the dissemination of boarding house training to a much wideraudiencethanitspreviousnarrowbaseofTAASservices.

• Enhancing the profile of TU as a policy development and educationalorganisationintheareaofboardinghousesandboardinghouserights.

• Expanding the size of the service network that has an interest in boardinghouses.

• Makingnewcontacts for theTUtoengage inboth theboardinghouseandotheraspectsofitswork.

EstablishmentofinternalTUresourcesandnetworkAn internal TU reference network was established in order to facilitate theknowledge and skill of TU staff in understanding and advising on boarding houserights.Internalresourceswerealsoproducedinordertosupportthisdevelopment.These internal network and resources were highly successful in meeting theirobjectives,andcontributedto:

• Expanding the skillofTUstaff inadvisingboardinghouse residentsof theirrights.

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• ExpandingTUstaffmembers’understandingof thehistoricaland legislativecontextoftherecentboardinghouselegislation.

• ReducingsiloswithintheTU.• Ensuringwork onboarding houses continueswhen thededicatedBoarding

HouseProjectOfficerfinishesStakeholderconsultationA number of stakeholder consultations were held in April 2016 as the first in aplannedseriesofconsultationstoensureacontinuouscollectionofinformationonsector responses to the implementation and effects of the Boarding Houses Act2012.Meetingsand interviewswereheldwithrepresentatives fromsix frontlineservicesto determine the impact of the BoardingHousesAct since legislationwas passed.ThemeetingalsoincludedpreliminaryideaswithregardtoareviewoftheBoardingHousesActduein2018.The services which participated in the consultations were: Tenants’ Union NSW;NewtownNeighbourhoodCentre;HomelessnessNSW;HaymarketFoundation;InnerWestSydneyTenancyAdviceandAdvocacyService; IllawarraSouthCoastTenancyAdviceandAdvocacyServiceandHunterTenancyAdviceandAdvocacyService.Theseserviceswereengaged in theconsultationbecause theywork in theareaofboardinghouses,including:

• Assistancetoresidentsregardinglegaladvicearoundoccupancyprinciples.• AssistancetoresidentsregardingadviceconcerningapplicationstoNSWCivil

AdministrativeTribunal(NCAT).• Findingaccommodationinboardinghousesforhomelesspeople.• EducationofresidentsregardingtheirrightsundertheAct.• Education of boarding house owners regarding their responsibilities under

theAct.• Policydevelopmentonissuesconcerninglivinginaboardinghouse.

Overall, theresponsesbyall servicesshowsthere is stillmuchwork tobedonetoensureresidentsareprovidedwithsafe,reasonableandaffordableaccommodation.Themajorthemesarisingfromthisfeedbackaresetoutbelow.1. TheBoardingHousesActhasnotbeensuccessfulinallitsaims:

There is a disincentivewith theAct as the security bond is not lodgedwith theBondBoard(TAASworker).Thelegislationhasmadenodifference(TAASworker)…Don’thaveanyevidencethatlegislationhasgiveneithertheTAASorhomelessagenciesanymoreleveragetoactthatbeforelegislation(TAASworker)

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Residentsdon’tseethatlegislationisworkingforthemastenants(TAASworker)The Act ….. has failed – we need to understand what has not worked (Policyworker)When theyare told thedifferencebetweenaboarderanda tenant theyusuallyloseinterestinwhattheBoardingHouseActcandoforthem(TAASworker)

2. Localcouncilsarenotcarryingouttheirresponsibilities,aspermittedunderlawin

ensuringboardinghousesintheirLGAsareregistered.TherehasbeennofundingforCouncilstoundertakethiswork.

LocalcouncilsarenotenforcingcompliancewiththeAct(Policyworker)Inawalkdown innerSydneysuburbstreets13itwasapparentthat localcouncilswere not enforcing compliance that boarding houses be registered (BoardingHousesEducationCo-ordinator)

3. Failureoflocalcouncilstofineboardinghousesownersthatarenotregistered

Localcouncilsdon’tgetanymoneyiftheyfineownerssothereisnoincentivetodoso.(Policyworker)

Possiblyonereasonforlackoffollowupisthat:

Localcouncilsarestrugglingwithsomanyotherhousingissues–airbnb,studentovercrowding, which pushes boarding houses further back in priority (BoardingHouseprojectworker)

4. TheBoardingHousesRegisterisinaccurateandonlyreflectsasmallpercentageof

boardinghousesinoperation

The Boarding Houses Register is largely ineffective – it is an inaccurateway ofknowing if the information on the register is correct (Boarding House projectworker)There is no communication between Fair Trading and ADHC (Boarding Houseprojectworker)

Buttheregisteridentifieslandlord’snames,whichenableseaseridentificationofthepartyforNCATmatters”(TAASworker)

5. Thepowerofboardinghouseoperators13 During a letterbox drop to registered boarding houses in inner city Sydney suburbs, several houses advertised as boarding houses but were not on the boarding houses register.

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(Iam)mostconcernedaboutlawlessowners.Thereareextremeincidences;theyhave a good knowledgeof the systemanduse it to their advantage. They canextortmoneyfromvulnerableresidents(TAASworker)

6. Thefailureofowners/managerstocomplywithoccupancyprinciplesparticularly

inregardtoevictionnoticesandreturnofbonds

When residents get behind in their rent they are often evictedwith either verylittlenotice,ornonoticeatall(Homelessagencycaseworker)Terminationusuallymeans“I’mbeingevictedtomorrow.”Terminationshouldbeaminimumnoticeperiod.(TAASworker)Mostboardinghousesaskforfourweeksbondratherthantwoweeks(BoardingHousesprojectworker)(Thereare)agreaternumberofoccupancyagreementsbetweenmanagersandresidents. Theagreementsdonotnecessarily reflect theoccupancyprinciplesasownerswriteissuesinthemthatmakeevictioneasier.(TAASworker)

Onepositiveresponsewas:

Where servicesareactive, residentsareawareof their rights (BoardingHousesprojectworker)

7. The difficulty of drug and alcohol dependent people being housed in boarding

houses

Ownersare less likely to takepeoplewhoareD&Adependentnow (Homelessagencycaseworker)

Ownerswon’tputupwithdestructivebehaviourfromresidentsasitdoesn’tlookgood for business. They evict residents with bad behaviour quickly (BoardingHousesprojectworker)

8. Realestateagentsputting togetherhouse rules forboardinghouses, thatdon’t

alwayscomplywithoccupancyprinciples

Agentsnowputtogethertheirownhouserules–theydon’talwayscomplywithoccupancyprinciples(Homelessagencycaseworker)

9. NCAT

VeryfewapplicationsgotoNCATandthosethatdoareusuallyaboutevictionandpossessions. The applications are usually negotiated before the process ends.(TAASworker)

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(The legislation) hasn’tmade it any easier to get to NCAT to sort our commonproblems.(TAASworker)OnceadvisedthattheymayneedtogotoNCATtogettheirproblemssortedout,residentsarenotwillingtodothat.Theirattitude istogetbyday-to-day. (TAASworker)

Althoughthefeedbackfromservicestaffshowedthatmoreworkneededtobedoneto strengthen rights for residents, somepositive aspects also came to light duringtheconsultations:

• It is better to have an Act than not at all. What already exists can bedevelopedandexpandedbythetimeareviewoftheActtakesplacein2018.

• There ismore leverageforTAAStoworkwithresidents.Althoughresidents

are generally reluctant to go toNCAT to apply for their rights, some TAASworkersfindthatowners/managersaremorewillingtogiveanextensionoftimetoanevictiononcecontactedbyanagencyworker.

• Someresidentsarebetteroff.SomeownerssupporttheActandbecauseof

thatmaytreattheirresidentswithmoreconsideration.

• There are reports of boarding house owners who, rather than signingoccupancy agreements with their residents, transferred their lodgers ontotenancyagreements.

ThefutureA review of the Boarding Houses Act is due to take place in June 2018. There isinterestalreadywithinhomelessagenciesatlookinghowtheActcanbeimproved.Asetofrecommendedactionsemergedfromthestakeholderconsultations,whichwillbeconsideredastheProjectmovesintoitssecondstage.Recommendationsare:

• Resources and incentives be provided to local government to ensure localcouncils undertake monitoring and compliance of all boarding houses(registeredandunregistered).

• Continuetheplannedseriesofstakeholdermeetingstoensurethevoiceoflocalagenciesandpractitionerexpertisearecapturedinrecommendationstogovernment.

• Obtaintheviewsofboardinghouseresidents increativeandinclusivewaysthatallowsthevoicesofmarginalisedpeopletobeadequatelyheard.

• Write a discussion paper setting out the findings of those consultations toinformadvocacy to theNSWFair Trading andNSWFamily andCommunityServices.

• Aspartofthatdiscussionpaper,promotetheneedforlegislativechangestotheBoardingHousesActtostrengthenanddetailtheprovisionsoftheAct.

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A further recommendation of this Project is for the TU to adopt a network andcampaignsapproachto itsworkwithboardinghouseresidentsandstakeholders inordertostreamlinetherequiredprojectmanagementandadvocacyapproachthatwillbeneededtoachievefurtherboardinghouselegislativereform.

ConclusionAstheProjecthasunfolded,ithasbecomeclearthatthistwo-yearBoardingHousesEducationProjectisinfactthefirstphaseofatwo-phaseendeavour.Theworkthathas been undertaken over the past two years has comprised a resource andcapacity-building phase. It is recommended that the next stage include policydevelopment both prior to and following a review of the Act and continuingeducationworkasresourcesallows.Theresourceandcapacity-buildingphasehasincludedarangeofactivitiesdesignedto enhance the knowledge, skills and capacities of boarding house residents, localserviceproviders, and local networks. Theseactivitieshave takenplaceacross sixkeyactivityareas:

1. Thedevelopmentofresourcesforresidents.2. Thedevelopmentofresourcesforserviceproviders.3. Theprovisionoftrainingforlocalagencies.4. Thedevelopmentoflocalnetworks.5. TheestablishmentofinternalTUresourcesandnetworks.6. Stakeholderconsultation.

Thereisindicativeevidencethattheintendedoutcomesoftheseactivitiesarebeingmet:

1. Increased knowledge and awareness of boarding house rights among localboardinghouseresidents.

2. Increased knowledge and awareness of boarding house issues among localserviceproviders.

3. Increased skills in addressing boarding house issues among local serviceproviders.

4. Increasedcollaborationandnetworkstrengthamonglocalserviceproviders.5. IncreasedknowledgeandskillamongTUstaffandthedevelopmentofTUas

alearningorganisation.6. Increased knowledge of the implementation and effects of the Boarding

HouseActamonglocalnetworks.It is recommended that theseoutcomesbe further investigated in the anticipatedsecondphaseof thisProject,whichwillbuildon increasingknowledgeof rights todevelopaconsideredandcoherentargumentforcontinuedlegislativereform.

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AppendixADistributionofresourcesThetablebelowshowstheresourcesdevelopedandtheextentoftheirdistributionResource Audience Date

developedDistribution

BoardingHousesFactsheet

TAAS, homeless agencies,residents

2013 December 2014:Mailout of factsheetand newsletter to 487boarding houses. In2015: therewere 8,625clicksontotheBoardingHouses Factsheet and16,790 page views ofthe Boarders andLodgersFactsheet

Tenants’UnionNewsletter

Residents; TU members andsupporters; homelessagencies;TAAS;generalpublic

2014 3000–alldistributed

Onboarde-bulletin

Homeless agencies; localgovernment; TAAS; interestedindividuals

2014 103recipientsinAugust2014increasedto426recipientsbyMarch2016. The e-bulletinwasopened666times

Hotlinenumber

Residents,homelessagencies 2015 Thehotline received34calls between April2015 and May 2016.Once phone assistancewas given, the caller’sdetails were forwardedto their local TAAS forany necessary followup.

BusinessCard

Residents; homeless agencies;legalcentres

2015 25,000 hardcopy cardsdistributed; e-bulletinadvertising the cardswentto400peopleandopened825times

Brochure Homelessagencies 2016 7000 distributed; TU e-bulletin to 1,236people; opened 1,471times

Poster TAAS;homelessagencies; 2016 600distributed

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Training TAAS;homelessagencies;legalcentresStafffromallNSWTAASsLocal Council: Ashfield;Leichhardt;CityofSydneyHomelessagencies:NewtownNeighbourhood Centre;Community Housing; CatholicCommunity Services; ARVHomecare; Catholic Care;Community Care; BobbyGoldsmithFoundation;SUPRA;The Haymarket Foundation;Ozaman Learning Centre;Jewish House; Vinnies; NeamiNational;SalvationArmyLegalCentres:MacarthurLegalCentre; Minter Ellison; HPLS;LegalAid;Medical:LiverpoolBrainInjuryRehab;

2014-2016 16 informal sessionstotalling71people.5TUsessions:(a). 26/3/14; 12attended–TAAS(b). 5/6/14; 7 attended–5TAASand2AshfieldCouncil(c).3/6/15;19attended– 5 TAAS; 11 homelessagencies; 2 legal; 2CityofSydneyCouncilstaff(d).19/6/15:9attended– 2 TU; 6 homelessagencies;1legal(e).1/6/16:25attended– 9 TAAS; 6 homelessagencies; 6 legalagencies; 2 City ofSydney Council; 1medical unit; 1 studentagency14(1) 5 sessions tohomeless agenciestotalling133people15(2)1session:LeichhardtCounciltotalling20staff(3) 1 session toHomeless People’sLegal Service totalling15staff(4) 3 sessions to TAASstaffatHunterTAAS–4attended; Central CoastTAAS – 4 attended andSouth Sydney TAAS – 5attended

14 Prior to the commencement of the Boarding Houses Education Project only TAAS staff attended training. From June 2015, attendees at training broadened to include staff from local councils, homeless agencies, legal, student and medical staff. 15 Homeless agencies included: Streetcare, Ozanam Learning Centre, The Homeless Hub Wollongong, and St Vincent de Paul Night Patrol

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AppendixB:Definitionsofboardinghouses:

TheAustralianBureauofStatisticsdefinesboardinghousesas:Tertiary homelessness refers to people who live in boarding houses on amedium to long-term basis, operationally defined as 13 weeks or longer.Residents of private boarding houses do not have separate bedrooms andlivingrooms; theydonothavekitchenandbathroomfacilitiesof theirown;theiraccommodation isnotself-contained;andtheydonothavesecurityoftenureprovidedbyalease.Theyarehomelessbecausetheiraccommodationdoes not have the characteristics identified in the minimum communitystandard.(http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4922.0Appendix32012?opendocument&tabname=Notes&prodno=4922.0&issue=2012&num=&view=)(accessed26/4/16)

TheNSWFairTradingdefinesboardinghousesasfollows:

A boarding house provides accommodation for a fee. Boarding houses aresometimes called lodging houses. A boarding house resident does not havethe samecontrol over thepremisesasa tenantdoes.Oftena residentofaboardinghouseonlyhasarighttooccupyaroomandtoshareotherfacilitiessuchasakitchenandbathroom.http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/ftw/Tenants_and_home_owners/Boarding_houses.page(accessed10/5/16)