Page 938 - Week 03 - Thursday, 10 March 2005
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(4) Breaches of the Public Rental Housing Assistance Program may result in the Commissioner for Housing withdrawing housing assistance. As the power to terminate tenancies rests under the Residential Tenancies Act, a client would have to breach both the Public Rental Housing Assistance Program and the Residential Tenancies Act in order to affect the housing assistance principle of security of tenure.
Security of tenure as a Residential Tenancy Act right is constructed in terms of notice periods and the protection provided by the Residential Tenancies Tribunal.
Housing—social landlord scheme
(Question No 101)
Mrs Burke asked the Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, upon notice, on 15 February 2005:
How many people in urgent need of accommodation, who are on the public and community housing waiting lists with ACT Housing, are being provided with a lease in the private rental market in the ACT under the Social Landlord Scheme.
Mr Hargreaves: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:
Twenty people.
Housing—crisis accommodation
(Question No 102)
Mrs Burke asked the Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, upon notice, on 15 February 2005:
(1) Which crisis accommodation service providers are in breach of their contracts for offering accommodation to persons beyond the agreed period as stipulated in their contracts;
(2) How many service providers are currently placing clients in hotel and motel accommodation and what is the cost to these organisations.
Mr Hargreaves: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:
(1) SAAP funded crisis accommodation services are able to respond to individual client need on the basis of the client’s circumstances. A service’s decision to allow a client to stay longer than the period stated in a service’s funding agreement guidelines would not constitute a breach and would not be acted on as a breach.
The Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services is more concerned that agencies use their professional judgement and assessment around an individual’s circumstances and support needs. The Department would not expect a client to be refused an extension of their period of accommodation if the client and the service had been unable to find appropriate medium or long-term housing.
(2) Canberra Emergency Accommodation Service (CEAS) is the primary provider of SAAP funded private accommodation brokerage. The service is funded to provide up to $2,500 per week on crisis placements in privately purchased low-cost accommodation.
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