Housing Law - Terms of Reference

Aim:

To provide a platform for organisations in the housing and legal sector to work together in a cooperative and collaborative manner to sustain the tenancies of vulnerable people (particularly people with mental health issues) at risk of homelessness who are living in social housing.

Initially, the focus of the working group will be limited to the social housing sector.  Further into the terms of its operation, the Working Group will consider revising and expanding its terms of reference to include tenancies of vulnerable people who are in the private rental market.

Objectives:

Identify and promote best practice

1. Identify practices / systems / models of service provision that are successful in supporting vulnerable people at risk of homelessness to maintain and sustain their tenancies.  These practices may involve:
   • a coordinated, multi disciplinary approach to the provision of tenant support services; and/ or
   • a 'client centred' approach to the delivery of those services so that they 'wrap around the client'  .
2. Promote and encourage implementation of these examples of best practice across the social housing sector of NSW so that 'best practice' becomes 'business as usual'.

Engage with Housing NSW

3. Engage with Housing NSW to develop a constructive working relationship in which to address the housing related legal issues of tenants living in social housing.
4. Engage with Housing NSW to facilitate access to assistance (both legal and non legal) for tenants at risk of losing their tenancy.

Housing and Mental Health Agreement

5. Investigate the progress that has been made towards implementing the Housing and Mental Health Agreement.
6. Engage with Housing NSW and Health NSW in relation to the implementation of the agreement.  For example, participation in Housing and Mental Health District Implementation and Coordinating Committees (DIACCs) and the development of their workplans.

Collect data about tenant experiences and map express legal need

6. Develop a data base of case studies that illustrate:

• the difficulties / barriers / challenges to sustaining a tenancy (including case studies involving CTTT decisions that impact adversely on the continuation of social housing tenancies); and
• successful maintenance of a tenancy,

for vulnerable people at risk of homelessness living in social housing (and renting in the private rental market, if it is reasonably practical to collect this data).

7. Develop a protocol for capturing these case studies across the sector.
8. Map express demand for assistance with housing law issues in NSW.

Repairs

9. Facilitate and support the roll out across NSW of work done to date in relation to education and assistance to social housing tenants about maintenance and repairs issues.

Term of operation:

12 months (option to extend timeframe if necessary).

Chair:

Ed Santow, CEO PIAC.