NSW Housing's revolving door

A forthright middle-aged woman managed to grab centre stage and precious media minutes on ABC-TV's Q&A last Monday night to question Federal Housing Minister, Tanya Plibesek, about public housing tenants being evicted by Housing NSW and made homeless as a result. The Minister said she could not address the subject because it was a specific case she knew nothing about. Has this very serious matter ever been investigated by the media, including the ABC?

More stimulus package refurbishment carry on

The botched Housing NSW refurbishment of kitchens in one of its Sydney retirement villages had a couple of positive outcomes. It resulted in two meetings of public housing tenants - the first held there for seven years, possibly even longer.
Keeping us isolated from each other appears to be part of a 'divide and rule' policy by the management of the retirement village and Housing NSW in the interests of the self-funded residents who live there as well. The underdogs have to be kept under the thumb.
At the second meeting it was revealed that the flat taps would be replaced by high arched ones, and the single sinks would be replaced by double ones. H-e-l-l-o! So why were the high arched taps and double sinks removed in the first place? The return of the double sinks would mean ripping out the new single sinks and reconfiguring the new cupboards underneath. Well, that's what the stimulus package was all about, wasn't it? Keeping tradesmen busy. Making sure they had enough work. 
The housos were unimpressed. They just wanted their old kitchens back. But management told them that they thought the refurbishment program had been a success and to rate it 8 out of 10.
Was this to make the Housing NSW team leader and the young man who chose the new kitchens, both of whom were present, feel a bit better?
Housos were being told the emperor was wearing clothes but he was actually naked.

Carry on refurbishing

Every houso has a maintenance story to tell, usually about shoddy workmanship. This one takes out the 'colander' (full of holes) award.
The DOH powers that be decided used some of the Rudd stimulus package to install new kitchens in a retirement village - naturally without any consultation with its clients, the people who had to use them. 
So the first recipients of this unexpected largess were shocked to find that their double sinks had been replaced by single ones, and that the high arched water spouts had been replaced with flat ones, making it impossible to fit large pots underneath them.
Then there were the cupboards, the top shelves of which extended right up to the ceiling, requiring elderly people to teeter on tiptoe on chairs in order to access anything from them.
The biggest bungle was the removal of a beam containing a very strong flourescent light that extended above the full length of the kitchen bench. This great aid for ailing elderly eyesight when trying to read recipe books was removed in the name of allowing more light into the area during the day.
Mmmm. Does the young man who came up with this 'colander concept' ever do the washing up, or does he always leave it to his mum?
Sorry. Can't afford prizes for all those correct answers.

Putting the boot into tenants

Well, Housing NSW has tried to evict me twice now for 'management reasons', as if I was in in their custody and they were not simply my landlords.
The bullying and intimidation of me by its legal department as well as its senior staff has been horrendous.
The team leaders I have encountered as part of the appeals process have made my blood run cold.
Why have these insensitive, uncaring people been given so much power over their tenants?
Particularly when many of their tenants would be victims of child abuse and possibly former clients of DOCS?
It doesn't figure, professing to want to help abused children then putting the boot into them when they are adults.
Why they want to put the boot into me is because I've complained about their incompetence and their abuse of power.
I've finally spoken up about it after living with it for seven years in a state of fear.
I have had enough.

Is anybody home?

The woman who answers the phone at the Sydney electoral office of the Federal Housing Minister, Tania Plibesek, is very adept at fielding complaints about Housing NSW and the state Labour government. I guess she's had a lot of practice which means you don't get much of a chance to get a word in. The office is located in inner city Surry Hills is just a couple of blocks away from the public housing development Northcott Estate.

Still pushing for green light to greener pastures

This week I received a reply to a letter I wrote to Federal Housing Minister, Tania Plibesek two and a half months ago about the need for a national interstate transfer system for public housing tenants. She didn't address the issue at all. Instead I was told about the $629 million the federal government has provided for new public housing in all states and territories, plus another $400 million to renovate homes many of which are already unsuitable for occupancy or are about to become so. That's important too. My argument is that it would be sensible to build more public housing in capital cities where land is cheaper and make it easy for public housing tenants living in Sydney to transfer there. Ms Plibesek is on ABC-TV Q&A tonight so I've submitted my question about this subject to her on-line and hope it gets chosen to be heard.

Taking Housing NSW to tribunal no easy matter

Why do so few public housing tenants take Housing NSW to the Consumer Trader & Tenancy Tribunal? Earlier this year the then Shadow Minister for Fair Trading, Catherine Cusack (Country Liberal) claimed that of all the applications made in regard to public housing matters, only 4 per cent were made by public housing tenants and a whopping 96 per cent by Housing NSW.
Well, firstly the very thought of going to court is frightening for most people, let alone the elderly and the disabled. Secondly, you need a lawyer or advocate to help you prepare your case and represent you, but such people are extremely difficult to find, even in the ranks of government-funded tenancy services. Thirdly, Housing NSW's own legal department is handling these types of tenancy matters all the time and is the resident expert in this field. Fourthly, if you are on a low income as most public housing tenants are you cannot afford to take your grievances to court.