SEARMS Tenant Advisory Group – Batemans Bay area (postcodes 2536 & 2537)
Posted on 21 Nov 2023
SEARMS is seeking applications from its Tenants and Registered Occupants to join its Batemans Bay Area Tenant Advisory Group
SEARMS manages around 480 properties – mostly on behalf of other Aboriginal housing Owners such as the AHO (government), Local Area Land Councils and Aboriginal housing organisations. We also own and manage our own housing stock.
Each Owner organisation has its own set of housing policies – from eligibility, assessment and allocation; rent setting and arrears management; and repairs and maintenance policies (approvals, funding, use of trades, etc).
Changing Government policy has severely impacted on Owner’s capacity to carry out Repairs and Maintenance works with dedicated funding to Operational funds ceasing in 2013 and Repairs and Maintenance funding since that time being limited to only a few Owner’s portfolios.
Over the past 3 years, SEARMS has provided the costs of running a housing portfolio to the Owners to assist them in updating their own policies – in particular rent setting and arrears management. In 2022, SEARMS undertook its own review which resulted in the current SEARMS housing policy being updated and implemented.
Keeping up with policy changes and the direct relationship between rent settings and available funds for repairs and maintenance was a big topic for not only our tenants but the community at large and SEARMS was the target of many negative, mis-informed comments. SEARMS is always open for respectful yarns and by joining this Group you can be part of contributing feedback in relation to Housing policy, procedures and service delivery.
Membership is open to any Aboriginal tenant or Aboriginal registered household occupant that is 18 years of age or over nominated by 2 other head tenants (not residing at the same property) of any SEARMS managed property in postcodes 2536 and 2537.
For more information see 23.11.08 SEARMS TAG Batemans Bay TOR Nov FINAL.
If you are interested in applying, please fill out and return the following form 23.11.01 SEARMS TAG EOI FINAL
to Rosie, Senior Admin at snradminbay@searms.com.au