The cost of owning a house in Sydney has risen to astronomical levels and owners putting property on the rental market demand assurances that their valuable asset will be well cared for. It helps if the prospective tenant has references covering past rental agreements and there is a need for a substantial bond to be held in trust against damage or rent shortfalls.
When it comes to what is called " public housing " the landlord is the government and a very different set of rules apply. The waiting list for public housing stretches back years and the NSW Land and Housing Corporation has the task of managing the 144,000 properties which consist its rental stock. The rent charged is based on a nominated percentage of the tenants income, hence a person on a pension pays little accordingly.
Thousands of public housing tenants meet their obligations as tenants in an exemplary manner. The rent is paid promptly and on time. The lawns are mowed and there is little to distinguish these properties to owner occupied housing nearby. Unfortunately, a small percentage of public housing tenants can best be described as " the tenant from Hell " !
No attempt is made to maintain the property in an orderly manner. The lawns are unmown and the yard is littered with rubbish and partly disassembled motor vehicles. Holes are punched in the walls and the relationship with neighbours resembles a war footing. When the renter is eventually evicted a massive repair bill faces the government.
An audit report reveals that rectification costs from tenant damage increased from $ 223 million in 2014 to $ 413 million in 2017/18, and the stock of public housing properties is ever increasing as the sale of old housing at Millers Point results in the construction of 250 new homes to be added to the social housing list in this state.
One of the problems is the disparity between those waiting patiently on the public housing waiting list and the " special housing need " people who are bumped up the queue because they are deemed to be in need of emergency housing. Usually that is a person with kids found to be homeless and living on the streets where the kids are in danger from both a health and a moral point of view.
Sadly, there are about 92,000 children at risk of significant harm in 2017-18 and this is an increase of 5,600 from the previous year. It seems that the task of the Land and Housing Corporation is split between coordinating the orderly flow of eligible citizens into public housing and being the conduit for emergency housing when no other avenue is possible. In the majority of cases those seeking public housing would not be in a position to lodge a bond if that became a requirement similar to the private rental market.
It seems to be a fact of life that some people are " uncivilized " by nature and others face pressure by their lifestyle that makes them difficult to house. It seems to be the lot of public housing to sort out this mix and that comes with a cost. That seems to be one of the imposts that go with living in a humane society. We continue to bear the cost of human failure !
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