“Acceptable Behaviour Agreements” for Public Housing Tenants in NSW
In a move to crack down on troublesome housing commission dwellers, the New South Wales Department of Housing has created a type of contract that would be used to evict a person for “anti-social behaviour”. This could include repeated verbal abuse of others or the constant playing of loud music. If you sign the Acceptable Behavioural Agreement, or ABA, and someone complains about your behaviour, it’s up to you to prove you didn’t do it. Evidence of the complaints will be collected by neighbours, which could be done by keeping an events diary or taking photographs. The Department of Housing then judges your case, and if you lose, you and your family or partner will be evicted. If you don’t like the situation, you can’t go to the Tenancy Tribunal. Only those with good legal representation and an unusual legal situation can go to the Supreme Court. However the State Government says that this measure allows quick eviction of constant troublemakers with minimum bureaucracy and fuss. Critics of the move say a significant proportion of mentally ill people living in housing estates will be affected. Taya Fabijanic spoke to Sri Ogden Tenants Advisor with the Redfern Legal Centre; Chris Martin, from the New South Wales Tenants’ Union; Phillip French, Excutive Director, of People with Disabilities; and Maura Boland, Director of Service Development, NSW Department of Housing.