Jenny Leong MP, Greens Member for Newtown has called on the Government to focus on investment in public, social and affordable housing to address homelessness and create jobs in the wake of COVID-19.

[UPDATE May 14, 2020]

Legislation Passed Supporting Renters

The NSW Parliament passed the Covid-19 Emergency Legislation Amendment (Emergency Measures) Bill 2020 No 2 yesterday which included amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 to be in force during the emergency period - a big step forward from where the government stood just a few weeks ago regarding protections for renters. 

The amendments gave renters two important wins: 

1)  renters may be able to break their leases with reduced penalties by applying through the Tribunal under certain circumstances: if the landlord has refused to negotiate rent relief, or refused to negotiate in good faith or, if a tenant and a landlord are unable to come to an agreement on a fair and affordable rent reduction. 

2)  renters and households who are Covid-19 impacted (by losing more than 25% of their incomes or the household's income), will be able to receive reduced rents via a compensation fund that will support landlords who can show hardship and who pass on rent reductions to tenants.

The Greens put up a series of amendments which would have given renters more significant support at this time in key areas:  

• giving the Tribunal the power to impose reduced rents and to prioritize renters' applications as urgent
• rent relief for renters and landlords in financial hardship 
• restricting the ability of landlords to evict tenants on no grounds
• stopping retaliatory evictions
• break lease option without any financial penalty 
• maintenance records available on request to renters
• allowance of pets to give tenants more flexibility when seeking a home

Jenny provided a wrap up of what happened on Facebook live after the legislation passed which you can watch here.

To find the details about these changes and other measures and how they can help in your specific circumstances, go to the Department of Fair Trading site or check out the information on the Tenants Union site.

We will continue to work for a better deal for renters especially during this pandemic when the right to an affordable, livable home is more crucial than ever. 

During the debate of emergency measures introduced to deal with COVID-19 in NSW, Greens Member for Newtown Jenny Leong MP, moved an amendment to ban No Grounds Evictions in NSW.

During debate on emergency measures during COVID-19, Greens Member for Newtown Jenny Leong MP moved an amendment to ban retaliatory evictions during the pandemic.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt and Senator Mehreen Faruqi discuss the housing crisis, and the looming debt crisis if tenants are forced to repay 6 months rent after the shut down is over.

In response to today’s announcement by the NSW Government outlining an eviction moratorium for NSW renters and other measures, Jenny Leong MP, NSW Greens spokesperson on Housing welcomed the much needed protection put in place through an eviction moratorium and increased funding for tenant support, but questioned whether the money allocated to the package will actually assist in reducing rents at this time.

Jenny Leong MP said:

“This moratorium on evictions in NSW, including protection from being blacklisted, will provide crucial protection for those who have been living with the stress of being evicted into homelessness because they can’t pay their rent.

Jenny Leong MP, NSW Greens spokesperson on Housing and Homelessness is urging the Premier to put an immediate moratorium on evictions for people unable to pay rent during the Corona virus pandemic, as well as recommending a number of urgent measures to assist people who are homeless and those living in public and social housing.

NSW Greens Housing and Homelessness spokesperson Jenny Leong MP, Member for Newtown has responded to the Liberal's homelessness announcement today by questioning the priorities of the Premier and highlighting the hypocrisy of the Minister for Family and Community Services.

“While setting targets is welcome, the targets announced by the Liberals today would amount to housing fewer than 5 people every week across the whole state! Surely we can do better than that.