NEW laws would make it easier for antisocial tenants who commit serious crimes to be booted out of public housing.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A bill introduced in NSW Parliament his week would also allow the eviction of tenants who fraudulently claimed a rental subsidy and did not pay the money back.
"The NSW government will not stand for people who make life difficult for the majority of good social housing tenants," Minister for Family and Community Services and Social Housing Brad Hazzard said.
"The vast majority of public housing residents are law-abiding citizens who deserve to live in a safe environment."
The proposed One Strike policy for a serious breach of a tenancy agreement meant the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) must terminate a tenancy where it is proven, on balance of probabilities, that a tenant committed a serious criminal offence. These included serious drug crimes, grievous bodily harm, storing an unlicensed firearm and offences under the "show cause" provisions of the Bail Act.
The legislation also introduced a three strikes policy so Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) officials could issue a notice of termination if a tenant received three breach of tenancy agreement notices in a 12-month period.
It also provided for confidential neighbourhood impact statements so the tribunal had to take account the impact of bad behaviour on neighbours.
FACS would also introduce a policy change to allow for 12-month probationary leases for public housing tenancies that lasted longer than two years - a policy change allowed under current legislation.