PIAC and the Tenants Union NSW made a submission to the Follow Up Review of the Management of NSW Public Housing Maintenance Contracts. In our submission, we highlight the impact on the public housing system of chronic underfunding for repairs and maintenance, including the need for Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) to sell assets to fund maintenance. We called on the Committee, LAHC and DCJ Housing to pay urgent attention to the following key areas:
- poor quality stock due to chronic underfunding for repairs and maintenance of public housing stock
- lack of timeliness and inadequate standard of repair and maintenance
- ageing public housing stock is not fit for purpose and requires modifications to support the health and wellbeing of tenants
- issues with communication and internal escalation processes
- LAHC’s failure to meet their repair and maintenance obligations is straining resources from the public housing system, Tribunal and civil society advocates
Our submission made a number of recommendations for high quality housing that supports the health and wellbeing of public housing tenants:
- Review funding arrangements and increase investment in the public housing system, including adequate funding for maintenance and repairs
- Improve operational policies for quality assurance and oversight
- Develop better procedures for maintenance requests and escalation processes
- Implement a range of policy changes to maintain, upgrade and deliver high quality, fit for purpose public housing
Reducing unfair fines and over-policing from alcohol-free zones