Equal Opportunity Commission

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Private rental housing
Finding a place

Private rental housing

An inquiry into discrimination against minority racial groups in the private housing rental market - Accomodating Everyone

In 2008 The Commissioner for Equal Opportunity commenced an inquiry into whether persons from minority racial groups (in particular Aboriginal and ethnic minority people) experience discrimination (direct or indirect) on the basis of their race in the private rental housing market.

The Inquiry was conducted through submissions from organisations who deal regularly with issues of tenancy and through stories of the individual Aboriginal and ethnic minority people who believe they have suffered less favourable treatment in the private rental housing market Equal Opportunity Commission. The Commissioner also invited comment from any other interested persons or groups, including representatives from the real estate industry.

The inquiry examined the possible causes and appropriate remedies for addressing any race-based discrimination identified in the private rental housing market, including liaison and consultation with the private rental industry where appropriate.

The report of the Inquiry is entitled Accommodating Everyone was launched on 22 June 2009 and it can be found here - Accomodating Everyone pdf

Brochures which summarise the rights and responsibilities for property agents, owners and tenants are also available. Discrimination in Accomodation brochure - renters and for owners and agents

Finding a Place

An inquiry into discrimination against Indigenous people in public housing

In 2004, the Equal Opportunity conducted an extensive investigation into discrimination in public housing against Aboriginal people. The report of this investigation, Finding a Place, made far reaching recommendations which are now being implemented by the Department of Housing and Works, in partnership with the Commission.

• Implementation

o Implementation Group

o DHW Action Plan (link to DHW)

o DHW Progress in implementing Key themes (link to DHW)

On 24 November 2006 the Department of Housing and Works published on their website their first response which marries the themes of the Action Plan to work-plan areas. The document outlines eighty-eight responses to the Finding a Place Action Plan.

EOC updates

Update - Section 80- Finding a Place Report (October 2009)
Finding a place report 2004 (pdf)
Housing Investigation Update 3 (March 6, 2007)
Housing Investigation Update 2 (May, 2006)
Housing Investing Update 1 (September, 2005)

Background

Implementation and monitoring group
Recommendation directly taken up by DHW (2005)
Joint Statement by Department of Housing and Works &
Equal Opportunity Commission (June 23, 2006)
Working together, with Aboriginal people, to make the best use of our combined
resources to address their housing needs.
- Aboriginal housing joint statement summary
  The Inquiry into Aboriginal Housing and discrimination has moved forward from
  “Finding a Place” to finding a connection. From July 2006 the Department of
  Housing and Works and the Equal Opportunity Commission are committed
  to working on:
  - Building on the best – learning from successful initiatives in
    Western Australia and elsewhere and using these to provide better
    housing for Aboriginal people.
  - Communicating – making our message clear and finding the best ways
    to deliver it to Aboriginal people
  - Responsiveness – engaging Aboriginal communities in the design of
    any new housing to meet local needs, taking complaints and appeals seriously.
  - Review and Reform – seeking new ways of doing business and
    making sure that these new ways cater for the most disadvantaged
    people.
  - Training – making sure staff participate in high quality and relevant training
    that improves their capacity to deliver services to Aboriginal people.

Other Business

EOC/Shelter WA Indigenous Forum on Housing Strategy Discussion Draft
(February, 2006)
More than 20 stakeholders involved with Indigenous housing in WA met to respond to the Housing Strategy WA Discussion Draft.

Equal Opportunity Commission
Department of Consumer and Employment Protection
Department for Community Development
Department of Indigenous Affairs
Tenancy Advice Service
Disability Services Commission
CPSU/CSA
Deaths in Custody Watch Committee
Katanning Aboriginal Corporation
Port Hedland – community representative
Kalgoorlie Indigenous Advocates
Department of Education and Training
Perth – Section 80 Reference Group
Roebourne – Women for Stronger Communities
Perth – community representative
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
Aboriginal Legal Service
Jackaranda Community Centre
WACOSS
Shelter WA
Noongar Mia Mia; and
Kimberley Community Legal Service.

The National Network of Indigenous Women’s Legal Services and the Indigenous Women’s Congress WA
have also been invited to participate in the Committee.

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Housing Investigation Update No:1 (view in pdf)
(September 06,2005)

THE Equal Opportunity Commission’s housing investigation report titled Finding a Place, plus an
accompanying video and DVD, was released on December 15, 2004.

The report contained 165 recommendations.

The report was launched at the Commission and was attended by more than 100 community and government
representatives, and attracted intense interest and coverage from national and statewide media.

One of the report’s key recommendations was for a broadly-based Implementation and Monitoring Group to
be established, with its first priority being to produce a program for the implementation, monitoring and
review of recommendations contained within the report. It was recommended this group include representation
from the Department of Housing and Works as well as community advocacy groups and other relevant
Government departments.

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