• CULTURAL DIVERSITY • LANGUAGE SERVICES

PREAMBLE
Homeswest recognises that a number of applicants and tenants come from backgrounds which have differing cultural and sometimes religious requirements from the ‘mainstream’ that may affect their housing needs. Aboriginals and people from a culturally diverse background are two such customer groups.

Homeswest began a systematic data collection in relation to the aboriginality and ethnicity of applicants in January 1997. Data collected in the first 12 months showed that approximately 15% of applicants included a household that contained a person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. Approximately seven per cent of applications contained a head of household who was born in a country other than Australia. Of these, 27% were from English speaking countries, such as the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

One of the major requirements of these groups is for larger accommodation, to house extended family. Homeswest is working to meet this demand and in March 1998 the applicant demand for 4 and 5 bedroom accommodation was 5% of waiting list demand. This demand was exceeded in the 1998/99 acquisition program in which 13% of the building program consisted of 4/5 bedroom accommodation.

As yet data relating to the aboriginality and ethnicity of tenants has not been formally collected.

Homeswest is also prepared to utilise innovative approaches to the housing of extended families, such as the allocation of adjoining duplex or medium density accommodation and the provision of ‘granny flat’ accommodation.
While Homeswest recognises cultural and religious needs and will make every endeavour to meet them, the Ministry’s ability to assist will depend largely on the amount of suitable housing stock in the area required by the applicant. Where the area required experiences high demand, Homeswest’s ability to incorporate such requirements would be limited.

Applications may also be complicated if the applicant or member of the extended family has a debt to Homeswest and in such circumstances the Ministry reserves the right to refuse assistance until the debt has been repaid.
POLICY

GUIDELINES & PRACTICES
Applications to House Extended Family Groups
1. Applicants who wish to be housed as an extended family group may make application as an extended family group or as separate application units to be housed within the same zone.
1.1 Upon application applicants must be given information as to the relative waiting times for 4 bedroom (plus) stock and that they may make individual applications for accommodation within the same zone or country town.
1.2 Advice must also be given that it is not always possible to synchronise an allocation of this type, given that different accommodation types/bedroom numbers have different waiting times.
1.3 Aboriginal grandparents who accommodate grandchildren 50% of the time or more may be allocated extra bedrooms. This will be defined in the appropriate cultural context where some children stay irregularly, but consistently, with family members.
1.4 Applicants with extended family groups, which include persons without permanent residency status, must accommodate these people within their current accommodation entitlement and will not be entitled to extra bedrooms for the purpose of accommodating these people. Example: Migrants with Assurances of Support (see ELIGIBILITY POLICY).
1.5 Definition of extended family within an Aboriginal context relatives of the family concerned, for whom they could be reasonably expected to take responsibility; that is, parents, children and grandchildren.
Interpreter Services
2. All Homeswest customers are entitled to a professional interpreter to assist them with any transaction with Homeswest, in which they require assistance.
Interpreting for the Deaf
  • This includes customers who require assistance with AUSLAN Interpreting for the Deaf. Contact Deaf Society of WA, 9443 2677.
  • Such assistance may be through one of Homeswest’s regular weekly interpreting services in the metropolitan area, or through the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS).


POLICY

GUIDELINES & PRACTICES

2.1 Telephone number for TIS 131 450.
2.2 Customers may also ring Homeswest from an outside number (such as home) through TIS, with the Ministry being responsible for the cost of the call.
2.3 As of January 2000 regular weekly interpreting times are
  • Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian
    Fremantle Office – Friday, 10.30 – 12.30pm
  • Mirrabooka Office – Wednesday, 9.30-11.30am
  • Spanish
    Fremantle – Wednesday, 9-11am
  • Somalian
    Mirrabooka – Monday, 2-4pm
  • Cannington – Monday 10.00 – 12.00 noon
  • Vietnamese
    Mirrabooka – Monday, 10.00 -12noon
  • Farsi/Dari
    Mirrabooka – Tuesday, 10-12noon
  • Khmer
    Bentley – Friday, 10-12noon
2.4 To assist customers with language difficulties, all Homeswest letterhead paper is endorsed on the reverse side with a message in 16 different languages. The message states:
This letter contains important information from the Homeswest. If you cannot read or understand the contents, please find someone to translate it for you. Alternatively, come to the nearest Homeswest office where we have access to the Telephone Interpreter Service.




POLICY

GUIDELINES & PRACTICES
3. Any Aboriginal customer will be serviced by an Aboriginal employee where one is employed in the office concerned, on request.
4. Any customer unable to attend a Homeswest office due to distance or disability may ring toll free numbers or ring the head office and have their call transferred to the desired office, free of charge.
 4.1 Numbers; Head Office – toll free 1800 093 325,
  • Switchboard 08 92224666
  • Aboriginal Housing Infrastructure Unit – toll free 1800 621 826
  • Kununurra Office - toll free 1800 646 960
  • Karratha Office – toll free 1800 631 320
  • After Hours Maintenance – toll free 1800 628 320
  • Customer Service Feedback 1800 628 165
  • e-mailinfo@housing.wa.gov.au
  • TTY 08 9221 3985


Transfer
5. Any Aboriginal tenant wishing to transfer due to cultural or religious considerations associated with a death in the tenancy is able to use this as an acceptable reason to transfer on a priority basis.


5.1 All conditions relating to priority transfer are applicable.
5.2 See Priority Transfer.
6. Any tenant wishing to transfer to accommodate members of extended family may be able to use this reason to transfer on a priority basis.
6.1 See 1.3
6.2 See 1.4
6.3 See 5.1, 5.2


POLICY

GUIDELINES & PRACTICES
Succession to a Tenancy for extended family members
7. On the vacation or death of a family member, extended family members may make application to succeed to the tenancy if they can demonstrate that they have been a contributing family member of the household for a period of time.
7.1 Factors taken into consideration by Homeswest
  • The length of time that the person has lived at the tenancy
  • The relationship to the ex-tenant
  • Whether they have contributed to the rental payments as part of the household
  • Waiting list demand
  • Whether they have a debt to Homeswest.
Debt to Homeswest
8. In all instances the general conditions relating to a debt to Homeswest will be applicable.

Access to Properties by Maintenance Workers
9. Maintenance workers who are required to enter premises to conduct maintenance repairs or inspections are to enter subject to the conditions set out in the ‘Access to Properties Policy'.
8.5 See ELIGIBILITY RELATING TO APPLICANTS WITH A DEBT TO HOMESWEST


9.1 If a tenant insists for any reason a worker/contractor remove their shoes prior to entering the premises the worker/contractor is entitled to refuse to enter the premises to carry out the work.