News

Including Retirement Housing in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety

This joint letter to the PM and the Minister for Consumer Affairs asks them to extend the terms of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety to cover Retirement Villages. 

National Older Persons Housing Network Organising Committee Update

The National Older Persons Housing Network Organising Committee has held two meetings with 10-15 people participating in each meeting with four states represented. The aims of the Network are to bring together older people from across Australia to become a housing lobby group for older people and by older people at a national level.

Call to Action on Residential Tenancies Reforms

We are calling on our members to contact their members about the Residential Tenancies Act.

Rental Reforms a Win for Older Residents

Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) has welcomed proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (RTA) that bring stronger protection for older renters in caravan park and residential parks.  In recent years, hundreds of home owners across Victoria who thought they had security in retirement have found themselves suddenly facing homelessness as developers closed the parks in which they lived.  Under the proposed reforms, residents will be able to access compensation if their parks close down and they are forced to move.

Delivering on the Premier’s promise of fair tenancy laws for 1.5 million Victorians

Last October, the Victorian Government made promises to the community that you would pass legislation to ‘make renting fair’ in Victoria. We wrote to Minister Foley to urge that these reforms must be introduced to parliament without further delay to give them any chance of passing before the election, and to make sure that they don’t undermine the safety and security of older Victorians.

Finally! Ombudsman promise a win for residents.

“Our members have been calling for an Ombudsman for the Retirement Housing industry for years,” said HAAG Chair Phyll Williams. “At the moment, older residents struggle to resolve disputes with their managers in quickly, cheaply and fairly. An ombudsman is sorely needed by many residents of retirement housing.” Ms Williams called on the Andrews government to match the LNP’s commitment. “Now that the Greens and the LNP have expressed support for an Ombudsman, its time for Labor to make it unanimous.  Proper protections for older Victorians should not be a partisan issue,” she said.

Elder Abuse Cases Double at Older Person’s Housing Service

On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Home at Last, a specialist housing support service for older people has revealed recent data showing a sharp spike in the number of clients reporting elder abuse over the last year. Since January 2018, 63 older people have reported abuse. This number has more than doubled since the same time last year.

 

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