New reforms passed by the NSW government will empower victim-survivors of domestic violence when it comes to rental protections, but advocates on the front line say more housing accessibility is still needed.
Passed last night, the new laws will no longer need victim-survivors to notify people they share a lease with that they are leaving, with a landlord or agent instead holding responsibility for notifying other co-tenants that a victim-survivor is ending their lease after they have safely left the property.
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Domestic and family violence is the leading cause of homelessness throughout the state, with people experiencing domestic and family violence left 20 times more likely to seek help from homelessness services than others in the community
Kira Levin, Principal Solicitor of the Homeless Persons’ Legal Service at the Justice and Equity Centre, says the specialist community legal service had helped hundreds of women who have been made homeless or put at risk of becoming homeless because of domestic violence.
“Many women have only been able to escape a violent partner by giving up their home, which often means losing their bond, being saddled with crushing debts and being blacklisted as a bad tenant,” she said. “These changes will go some way to helping women in those situations.
Levin said that although passing these laws was an important step, the government needs to fund essential domestic violence support services including emergency accommodation, caseworkers and legal services.
“People in crisis because of domestic and family violence will need support to use these new protections, to keep themselves and their families safe,” she said.
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