❓ Dr. Pettitt asks about the number and reasons for ended Department of Communities tenancy agreements between 2020-2022. The answer provides total tenancies ended and evictions by financial year, but states other requested data is not readily available.
AnsweredQoN 1272Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) For each of the 2020, 2021 and 2022 calendar years, how many Department of Communities tenancy agreements ended? (2) For each count in (1), how many agreements ended as a result of: (a) eviction; (b) non-renewal by the Department; (c) non-renewal or break lease by tenant; and (d) any other reason?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
23 March 2023
Responded by
Minister for Agriculture and Food representing the Minister for Housing
Response time
6 days
(1)
Eviction is a last resort for the Department of Communities. Communities works with tenants to ensure they are given every opportunity to rectify the issues impacting on their tenancy. This includes making appropriate referrals to supports and programs such as Thrive, which provides support to public housing clients.
Where a tenant is at risk of eviction, Communities will increase their contact with the client and link them with relevant support services to help address the issues impacting their tenancy. In most cases, where engagement occurs, people can remedy the issues impacting their tenancy
‘Vacates following’ occurs where an individual voluntarily relinquishes the property after a termination notice or court order. Termination notices and court orders are not evictions and are not final. When given a termination notice or court order, tenants still can remediate their tenancy and engage with Communities to sustain and continue their tenancies.
A large majority of these tenancies have ended where for example, tenants no longer require social housing as they have secured alternative accommodation, have moved inter-state or overseas, have moved into aged care or passed away, have had a transfer or have had a change in family composition, such as having children.
Public Housing State-wide –
Tenancies Ended
Financial Year
No. of Tenancies
2019-2020
4,146
2020-2021
3,186
2021-2022
2,894
Note: Tenancies reports are finalised as at end of each financial year. Therefore, the above statistics have been presented by financial year.
(2) (a)
Bailiff evictions follow where tenants repeatedly and egregiously fail to rectify their behaviour or engage with Communities to sustain their tenancies and is a measure of last resort.
Financial Year
Bailiff Eviction
2019-20
93
2020-21
7*
2021-22
43
*This year included the rental moratorium.
(b-d)
Information is not collected in the manner the Honourable Member has requested and would require a manual review of individual files and significant resources. However, should the Honourable Member have a more specific question, the Minister will endeavour to provide an answer.
Eviction is a last resort for the Department of Communities. Communities works with tenants to ensure they are given every opportunity to rectify the issues impacting on their tenancy. This includes making appropriate referrals to supports and programs such as Thrive, which provides support to public housing clients.
Where a tenant is at risk of eviction, Communities will increase their contact with the client and link them with relevant support services to help address the issues impacting their tenancy. In most cases, where engagement occurs, people can remedy the issues impacting their tenancy
‘Vacates following’ occurs where an individual voluntarily relinquishes the property after a termination notice or court order. Termination notices and court orders are not evictions and are not final. When given a termination notice or court order, tenants still can remediate their tenancy and engage with Communities to sustain and continue their tenancies.
A large majority of these tenancies have ended where for example, tenants no longer require social housing as they have secured alternative accommodation, have moved inter-state or overseas, have moved into aged care or passed away, have had a transfer or have had a change in family composition, such as having children.
Public Housing State-wide –
Tenancies Ended
Financial Year
No. of Tenancies
2019-2020
4,146
2020-2021
3,186
2021-2022
2,894
Note: Tenancies reports are finalised as at end of each financial year. Therefore, the above statistics have been presented by financial year.
(2) (a)
Bailiff evictions follow where tenants repeatedly and egregiously fail to rectify their behaviour or engage with Communities to sustain their tenancies and is a measure of last resort.
Financial Year
Bailiff Eviction
2019-20
93
2020-21
7*
2021-22
43
*This year included the rental moratorium.
(b-d)
Information is not collected in the manner the Honourable Member has requested and would require a manual review of individual files and significant resources. However, should the Honourable Member have a more specific question, the Minister will endeavour to provide an answer.
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