ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY HOUSING

Housing Application

If you or someone you know is in need of housing please call us on (02) 6361 4742, or email om@olalc.com.au, or write to the Operations Manager, or the CEO and send a completed copy of the OLALC Housing Application Form to 120 Byng Street, Orange, NSW, 2800.

Request for Repair & Maintenance

Tenants can lodge a request for repair and or maintenance by providing a completed copy of OLALC’s Request for Maintenance Form to a OLALC staff member in person, to the Operations Manager, or the CEO. External Clients can call (02) 6361 4742, email om@olalc.com.au, or write to the Operations Manager, or the CEO and send the correspondence to 120 Byng Street, Orange, NSW, 2800.

Emergency Repairs or Replacements

For URGENT repairs after hours refer to your lease for the contact details of the relevant tradesperson.

If you are experiencing an emergency and need to speak to a staff member, call the Peter Fisher Real Estate office number on 02 6363 1000 and follow the prompts – Please leave a detailed message of the issue and remember to leave your name and a contact number.

Emergency repairs or replacements, regardless of the time of day they occur, will be handled promptly.

Emergency need will be defined as those situations posing immediate threat to the Health and Safety of residents and/or the integrity of the grounds, buildings and equipment, including water, electricity, gas, adequate heat and plumbing, glass breakage which deprives resident of security or heat or repairs which if not performed would expose the Tenant or other residents to injury.

Complaint process for Tenants

What is a Complaint?

A complaint as an expression of dissatisfaction with a specific aspect of OLALC’s services where the complainant is unhappy with the standard or type of service and requests a changed outcome.

Examples of complaints include:

Failing to provide a service or an aspect of a service such as not completing a repair, not conducting Tenant visits or not providing rent statements
Rude or inappropriate Staff behaviour
Poor administration of a service such as not recording changes in circumstances or sending out appropriate forms
Providing an inconsistent or inaccurate service such as responding differently in different circumstances

How we Receive Complaints

A complaint may be made by a person to whom OLALC delivers services or who is affected by our services, a partner, a local organisation with which we work, our Staff, Volunteers, donors or a member of the public.

Complaints can be lodged by reporting them in person to the Operations Manager, the CEO, or a Board Member. External Clients can call (02) 6361 4742, email om@olalc.com.au, or write to the Operations Manager, the CEO or ‘The Board’ at OLALC and send the correspondence to 120 Byng Street, Orange, NSW, 2800.

If a Tenant wishes to complain directly to the NSW Aboriginal Housing Office, or is dissatisfied with the outcome of a complaint, the issue can be referred to the NSW Aboriginal Housing Office directly at: AHOEnquiries@facs.nsw.gov.au, or to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) or by phone on 1300 006 228, or to the Registrar of Community Housing (RCH) by phone on 1800 330 940 or at registrar@facs.nsw.gov.au.

Tenants can contact Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services, which provides a comprehensive list of advice and advocacy services across NSW, for additional support. OLALC’s staff can assist you to contact an advocacy service.

Appeal process for Tenants

Appealing a Decision

An Appeal is a disagreement by an Applicant or Tenant with a decision made by OLALC that affects their application for housing, or their tenancy, and which the Applicant or Tenant has requested be reviewed.

An Appeal is not a Complaint.

OLALC is committed to the fair and effective management of Appeals.

How to Appeal a Decision

Applicants and Tenants can appeal decisions made by OLALC, including decisions about eligibility for community housing and offers of housing, decisions to decline an application or to transfer a Tenant, and decisions about eligibility for a rental subsidy.

All Appeals must be lodged with OLALC within three months of the Applicant or Tenant being notified by OLALC of the original decision.

Where possible, Applicants and Tenants who are not satisfied with a OLALC decision are encouraged to initially speak to the OLALC staff member who advised them of the decision (or another staff member).

Appeals should be made in writing using the OLALC Appeals Form available from any OLALC office. Applicants and Tenants are encouraged to ask a OLALC staff member for advice on whether their issue can be appealed, as not all issues are eligible to be reviewed.

The Appeals Form can be lodged by providing to a OLALC staff member, the Operations Manager, the CEO, or a Board Member. External Clients can call (02) 6361 4742, email om@olalc.com.au, or write to the CEO or ‘The Board’ at OLALC and send the form to 120 Byng Street, Orange, NSW, 2800.

In most cases Appeals will be decided within 20 working days from the date OLALC receives an Applicant’s or Tenant’s written application for review. Exceptions to this timing may be where OLALC is waiting on further information from the Applicant or Tenant, or another person or organisation.

What to do if unhappy about the outcome of an appeal?

If an Applicant or Tenant believes the decision made by OLALC in their appeal is incorrect and they remain dissatisfied, they can ask the Housing Appeals Board to review the decision.

The NSW Housing Appeals Board is an independent agency that can review appeals from individuals who are dissatisfied with decisions made by social housing providers such as OLALC.

OLALC will provide a copy of the complaints management and appeal guidelines upon request.