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Tenants' Union news

Also check out our blog, Tenant News archive, media appearances, and Housing News Digest.
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Please can we have a cat?

Renting with pets is risky, you've got to be responsible in ways that others do not. Unlike tenants, home owners can't be evicted for failing to train a dog not to bark at passing traffic, and they don't really have to be concerned about the damage their pets might cause - at least, not as far as it might affect other people. But because home owners are considered bona fide grown-ups, we let them decide for themselves whether or not to keep pets. Tenants, on the other hand, are apparently not to be trusted with such decisions without the blessing of a landlord.
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More than bricks and mortar

Robin and Kathy
Robyn Stafford lives in Minto, a suburb in south western Sydney. She has experience as a tenant who has been through a redevelopment process in public housing. She has been active in working alongside other community members to improve tenant outcomes from the redevelopment process. She shares her wisdom in this interview.
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Women finding home

Hana
Women from a refugee background face a multitude of challenges and barriers when trying to find a place to call home in Australia. Like many Australians faced with a sudden change in living circumstances, they don’t have a rental history, referees or money for a bond or advance rent. In this article Rekha Sanghi of Settlement Services International looks at some of these issues and shares the stories of two women from refugee backgrounds, Hana and Zara.
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Ruth Simon: A champion for housing rights

Ruth Simon
Ruth Simon is a true champion for housing justice. For well over a quarter of a century Ruth has dedicated herself to ensuring justice for Aboriginal people through her work, both paid and unpaid. She has initiated or managed a range of initiatives promoting access to education, secure housing, health and employment. Always, Ruth has understood how these issues interrelate and how they all must be addressed to create positive outcomes for Aboriginal people.
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Putting down roots

Alison's garden
In this piece, boarding house resident Alison Jolly tells her story: "The housing situation for older single women like me (I’m 61) can be difficult unless they own their own home. Many of us divorced our husbands after years of domesticity which had left us unskilled for the work force, without superannuation, and often with an extreme lack of confidence. I think women also like to potter and enjoy homey things like baking etc. so housing is important to them. We also miss out (as do grandfathers) on having our grandchildren visit if our housing is dangerous and unclean."
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Seeking security

Older woman standing in front of a 'leased' sign
"It’s so hard to find rental accommodation that is in any way decent. I watch the papers all the time and have my name with lots of agents, but they don’t care. You should see some of the places I am offered, they are disgusting. Some of them should be condemned – they are hovels. The unit I live in is in a very old block and the owner put it on the market about two years ago but no one will buy it."
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When home isn't safe: Queer women and housing

Indigo
Indigo Dunphy is a 20 year old queer person who, at the time of interviewing, was living in a share house with another queer woman and two straight men. She has a girlfriend who stayed over regularly. She talks about the difficulties of finding a safe and respectful share house to live in.
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At least I have a room

Gretta
This is a story about Gretta, a boarding house resident. She has lived in two boarding houses. The first she liked very much as it included a communal living area as well as shared facilities. About two years ago the building was sold and she had to move out. With the help of staff at Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, Gretta was able to find cheaper accommodation but the current boarding house doesn’t have any living room space or anywhere outdoors to go.
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Transgender women and homelessness

Alyssa
Parental rejection and family violence based on gender identity have been cited as causes of homelessness for young trans people in Australia. The insecurity of homelessness can in turn have devastating effects on a person’s mental and physical health. Given that trans people are already four times more likely to have been diagnosed with depression than the general population, the compounding effects of homelessness on trans people can be dire. In this article Dylan Stanford discusses these issues, with insights from Alyssa, a young bisexual trans woman with lived experience of homelessness and housing.
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The relief of never having to go home

Broken window
"Fleeing an abusive relationship was the most frightening experience of my life. By the time we fled, it was already a game of life or death. Leaving often angers the abuser even more and my case was no exception. My husband needed absolute control and by the time we fled he was watching everything I did, every item I purchased, every train I took and every toll I drove through. He logged my phone location, read my emails, messages and files, and monitored my social media. How can you flee when the “modern day aids” of our digital lives are key weapons for control?"
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