Sub-standard private rooming houses are the most dangerous form of accommodation in Victoria.
--STOP PRESS-- 12/11/09
We welcome reforms for rooming houses
On Friday 30 October, the Premier announced that the State Government will adopt all 32 recommendations of Martin Foley’s Rooming House Standards Taskforce including:
• Mandatory registration of rooming house operators and premises;
• Improving standards of safety and amenity;
• Strengthening compliance and enforcement; and
• Increasing the supply of alternative rental housing.
Government media release: www.premier.vic.gov.au/component/content/article/8584.html
Government announcement documents, including the Rooming House Taskforce report: www.housing.vic.gov.au/community-and-housing-partnerships/housing-agencies-and-cooperatives/registration-and-regulation/rooming-house-regulations/$77.2-million-package-to-improve-private-rooming-houses
The “Call This A Home?” campaign working group immediately welcomed the Victorian Government’s response. The peak bodies involved in the Call This A Home? campaign – Tenants Union of Victoria (TUV), the Council to Homeless Persons (CHP), Victorian Council of Social Services (VCOSS) and the Community Housing Federation of Victoria (CHFV) – participated in the task force and fully support the final recommendations as a necessary and comprehensive suite of reforms.
We would like to acknowledge the efforts of each and every one of you in bringing about this momentous social change. A heartfelt THANK YOU to:
• the workers in the homelessness, health, mental health and other sectors who first highlighted the plight of rooming house residents
• the students and lecturers at RMIT Human Rights Campaign Workshop who conceived the initial campaign ideas and donated their time, expertise, design, website and printing services throughout
• the individuals and organisations that signed on as campaign supporters
• rooming house residents and former residents who had the courage to come forward with their stories
• the journalists and media outlets that followed the story relentlessly
• our FaceBook fans and the people who signed our petition and mailed in postcards and wrote letters to the newspapers
• those in local and state government who took up the challenge and refused to let the issue go away.
The Call This A Home? campaign partners will continue to work closely with the Government to ensure the changes are implemented as quickly and comprehensively as possible.
In the meantime, please stay in touch with us via this website and keep advocating for rooming house reform as the changes come into force in your area.
--STOP PRESS-- 30/10/2009
COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN WELCOMES GOVERNMENT ACTION ON ROOMING HOUSES
The “Call This A Home?” campaign has welcomed the Victorian Government’s much anticipated response to the Rooming House Standards Task Force recommendations.
The Tenants Union of Victoria (TUV), the Council to Homeless Persons (CHP), Victorian Council of Social Services (VCOSS) and the Community Housing Federation of Victoria (CHFV) participated in the task force and fully support the final recommendations as a necessary and comprehensive suite of reforms. We believe the recommendations will help ensure rooming houses operating in Victoria provide affordable and appropriate accommodation to low income Victorians.
View the Call This A Home campaign media release
Link to the Rooming Houses Taskforce Report and the Government's response
--News-- 19/10/2009
This advertisement (left) appeared in today's Herald Sun. Please write a letter today to hsletters@heraldsun.com.au mentioning the ad and calling on the Victorian Government to make rooming houses safe and protect vulnerable residents urgently.
--News-- 06/10/2009
Coroner calls for rooming house reform
The Victorian Coroner, Peter White, has recommended sweeping changes to rooming house licensing and regulation after an inquest into the deaths of Leigh Sinclair, 25, and Christopher Giorgi, 24, in a Brunswick rooming house fire in 2006.
Download the Coroner’s findings
Download the Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic media release
Download the VCOSS media release
Latest media coverage on rooming houses
The State Government is currently considering the recommendations of its Rooming Houses Taskforce and is expected to make an announcement shortly.
Meanwhile Call This A Home encourages campaign supporters to continue advocating for change through letters and calls to your local MPs, local media and online.
--News-- 22/7/2009
Consumer Affairs Victoria have launched a new hotline (Call 1300 365 814) and online form to allow anyone to report a suspect or sub-standard rooming house, either using their name or anonymously.
It is a credit to the supporters of this campaign and the many rooming house residents who have told their story in public that we are now seeing some movement on this issue. Here is the link.
--News-- 15/7/2009
Premier Brumby has announced a 'blitz on sub-standard rooming houses' and the creation of a six week taskforce to produce recommendations for signifcant reforms. This represents the first success of our campaign. Read the State Government media release here.
Keep spreading the word about the campaign as we await the results of the taskforce process.
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Poor regulation and a lack of minimum standards mean they can operate for maximum profit, with little regard for the safety or amenity of residents.
They do not offer people security, privacy or safety. Shared areas such as bathrooms and kitchens are often stages for violence, intimidation, drug dealing and other illegal activities.
There is no control over who enters or stays in the house. Some residents lack an adequate lock on their door.
Imagine your food and possessions being regularly stolen or having to stand outside the bathroom door to make sure your children are safe. Would you call this a home?
Victoria currently lacks the regulatory tools to adequately control this segment of the private housing market. It is time for the introduction of a statewide set of standards and a regulatory scheme that will protect vulnerable residents from exploitative conditions and predatory management practices.
Call This A Home? is calling on the Victorian Government to introduce:
1. A set of comprehensive minimum standards to ensure the basic needs of all rooming house residents are met
2. More effective registration, monitoring and enforcement to bring hundreds of unregistered rooming houses into the system and ensure compliance with standards
3. A licensing system to regulate the management of private rooming houses to prevent exploitative practices
Take action to support rooming house residents
Rooming house residents are among the most vulnerable members of our community. There are a few things you can do to support the campaign for safe rooming houses in Victoria. Click the Take Action link at the top of your page for more options.
Thank you
Thank you from the thousands of rooming house residents and housing workers struggling to improve the state of Victorian low income accommodation. You can send us feedback or request more information by emailing us at callthisahome@gmail.com
Together we can make a difference to those who need it most.