As social housing becomes more targeted to households with complex support needs, a report has found 'get tough' approaches to crime and anti-social behaviour are impacting vulnerable families.
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The Australian Housing and Urban research report, conducted by researchers at the University of Tasmania and the University of New South Wales, found
- social housing landlords increasingly house persons and families with complex support needs
- exclusionary 'get tough' approaches that emphasise eviction have impacts on vulnerable families
- women often face eviction because of the actions of a male household member, and some women are evicted because of violence against them
- and, reviewing gender impacts of social housing policies and adopting 'the best interest of the child' principle can help sustain tendencies.
Researchers reviewed social housing tenancy laws and policies, 95 cases of eviction proceedings in five jurisdictions - Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory - and national policy principles relating to four groups of vulnerable people - women affected by domestic violence, children, Indigenous families, and people who problematically use alcohol and other drugs.
In other news
The report noted in Tasmania the state's social housing provider, Housing Tasmania, has a 'three strikes' policy towards issuing public housing tenants warnings when they are breach of their agreement.
Unlike other jurisdictions, Housing Tasmania does not restrict its termination proceedings to breaches or direct applications but regularly takes 'without grounds' terminations proceedings at the end of tenancies' fixed terms, the report said.
"To that end, public housing tenancies are maintained as a series of short fixed-term agreements," it said.
The report noted it remained to be seen if Housing Tasmania would change its policy regarding tenancy termination as the result of a recent Supreme Court judgement in favour of intellectually disabled tenant Gregory Parsons, of Glenorchy, which ruled he could not be evicted on the basis that his lease was ending.
Lead researcher Dr Chris Martin said responding to anti-social behaviour and misconduct in social housing was plainly a very challenging area of practice.
"'It appears that in most cases a single substantial contact between the social housing landlord and the tenant was sufficient to address any problems," Dr Martin said.
"However, where problematic behaviour continues, the usual course of escalating threats to the tenancy and pushing the tenant to engage with the landlord and support services does not work for many.
"In those cases, people who are vulnerable may be evicted from their social housing, often into homelessness. We need to bring support out of the shadow of termination."
The report suggested policy developments in the forms of offering support out of the shadow of tenancy termination, tenancy law reform and closer integration of social housing policy with leading frameworks in other policy areas.
Emily Jarvie
Emily Jarvie is a political journalist at The Advocate and The Examiner newspapers based in Hobart, Tasmania. Contact: emily.jarvie@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Emily Jarvie is a political journalist at The Advocate and The Examiner newspapers based in Hobart, Tasmania. Contact: emily.jarvie@austcommunitymedia.com.au
