• Private rental housing
• Finding a place

Private rental housing

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

• The Commissioner for Equal Opportunity has decided to conduct
  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. I am inviting Aboriginal and ethnic minority people
  who believe they have suffered less favourable treatment in the private rental housing market to share their experiences with the
  Equal Opportunity Commission. I am also inviting comment from any other interested persons or groups, including representatives
  from the real estate industry.

  The inquiry will also examine 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.

  Information regarding the inquiry, including how to make a submission, submission forms and the terms of reference,
  can be found here:

  • Information package and terms of reference
  • Submission form for individuals
  • Submission form for organisations
  • Submission form for real estate representatives
  
  
• Information Briefings

  The Community Education section of the Equal Opportunity Commission has organised a series of information briefings where advocates, group representatives and real estate representatives will be able to be fully informed of the purpose of the inquiry, the process for it and guidelines for making submissions. The details of these information briefings are listed below, and I invite interested persons, community groups and real estate representatives to participate in the briefing session which is most convenient.

• Albany briefing for real estate principals (July 18)
• Albany briefing for community workers (July 18)
• Geraldton briefing for real estate principals (July 29)
• Geraldton briefing for community workers (July 29)
• Gosnells briefing for community workers (July 16)
• Kalgoorlie briefing for real estate principals (July 22)
• kalgoorlie briefing for community workers (July 22)
• Mandurah briefing for community workers (July 25)
• Mandurah briefing for real estate principals (July 25)
• Mirrabooka briefing for community workers (July 10)
• Perth briefing for community workers (July 31)

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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

• Housing Investigation Update 3 (March 6, 2007)
  
• Housing Investigation Update 2 (May, 2006)
  
• Housing Investing Update 1 (September, 2005)

Background

• Finding a place report 2004 (pdf size: 5.07 mb)
  
• 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.

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The Section 80 Implementation and Monitoring Committee includes representation from
the following groups:

• 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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Archive

Copies of DHW web materials and publications kept here.

• DHW Action Plan
• DHW Progress in implementing Key themes
• DHW-EOC Joint Statment on Aboriginal Housing (html | pdf)

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