The last few months have been exciting for tenancy services in WA. A new funding program drawn from tenants bond interest monies has been established to provide advice and education services to tenants. There is now a funded network of locally based tenancy services in several regional and metropolitan areas and a central Resource Unit to resource and support funded and unfunded services working with tenants throughout WA.
The program is the culmination of several years' work by Tenants Advice Service, (TAS) community agencies and the Ministry of Fair Trading (MFT). A total of $625,000 has been allocated to the Program in 1999/00. This more than doubles monies provided to WA tenancy services in the previous year. The Program is being administered by the MFT on a 12 month pilot basis with the possibility of triennial funding being provided thereafter.
Target groups under the Program are residential tenants (private and public), particularly those who:
TAS successfully tendered to carry out the Resource Unit functions under the Program. The resourcing unit functions are largely a consolidation of the work TAS has been doing in recent years. More details on TAS' services are provided in this newsletter.
Funding for four local services was provided in the following regions (organisations involved in the successful in the tender bid for the region are indicated in brackets):
Funding for three local services was provided for the following metropolitan corridors (organisations involved in the successful in the tender bid for the region are indicated in brackets):
Corridor 1:
Joondalup, Wanneroo, Stirling, Swan, Bassendean, Bayswater, Cambridge and Vincent (Northern Suburbs Community Legal Service in conjunction with Welfare Rights and Advocacy Service).
Corridor 2:
Perth, South Perth, Canning, Belmont, Victoria Park, Armadale, Gosnells, Kalamunda and Mundaring (Gosnells District Information Centre in conjunction with Sussex Street Community Law Service).
Corridor 3:
Subiaco, Claremont, Peppermint Grove, Mosman Park, Nedlands, Cottesloe, Melville, Fremantle, East Fremantle, Cockburn, Kwinana, Rockingham, Mandurah and Serpentine-Jarrahdale (Community Legal and Advocacy Centre in conjunction with Southern Communities Advocacy and Legal Education Service).
More details on local tenancy services are provided in this newsletter.
Tenants are effectively paying for the Program with their bond interest as funding is generated from the Rental Accommodation Fund (RAF). The RAF consists of the interest on tenants bonds lodged under the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) 1987.
The scope for funding was extended to fund advice and education services for tenants following the 1995 review of the RTA and lobbying from TAS and others to extend its use. The RAF running at a "surplus" after meeting its other commitments to fund MFT and the Local Courts costs under the RTA was another key influence. There is predicted growth for Program funds (albeit slow) through increased bond lodgments and returns in the RAF.
TAS promoted the introduction of a coordinated funding program, along the lines of the "network model" it had first proposed in 1995, as a more effective method for allocating funds than an ad hoc approach.
The network model arose through TAS considering how best to meet continuing unmet need for tenancy services in WA. The network model was based on TAS' research of successful models in other States as well as building on TAS' approach to its work for education and advocacy support with various communities and agencies (both geographic and special interest). The model was preferred as a strategy for expanding tenancy services in WA, rather than a wholesale expansion of TAS to provide locally based tenancy services throughout the State.
The network model is essentially a collaborative model of service delivery. The principles behind the model include that TAS' "expertise" is in tenancy and that local or special interest services know and are more closely linked to their local communities than TAS. More appropriate and comprehensive services can be developed through combining local knowledge and networks with TAS' tenancy expertise and resourcing capacity. A coordinated network of tenancy services through a Resource Unit can lead to better quality and consistent outcomes for tenants through strategies such as information sharing, resource development, training and support and coordination to avoid duplication.
TAS' original proposal included the allocation of $2.2 million for services throughout the State as well as services for special needs groups including Aboriginal tenants and caravan park tenants. The current model is for significantly less funds and does not extend to services to provide services to special needs groups.
Another identified gap is the provision of a Statewide Telephone Service. This service is to help meet the gap in services for tenants in regions where there is no funded service and where tenants are unable to access their nearest local service. In discussion with Fair Trading to refine the current Program TAS and other agencies urged for a Statewide Telephone Advice Service to be provided for in the model. A separate tender for this service was urged but did not eventuate. This has become an issue for TAS and local funded services in the transition to the new model. TAS was recently provided funds to operate the service until mid- January 2000. Further discussions are being held between the network and Fair Trading to explore options for the continuation of these services.
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