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Government backflip a win for Maitland’s social housing tenants

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Maitland state MP Jenny Aitchison has welcomed the NSW Government’s latest backflip, which will ensure all social housing tenants in her electorate are eligible for the NSW Washing Machine Replacement Trial.

The initiative – to take place in 43 Local Government Areas (LGAs) – was announced in April.

It was intended to assist social housing tenants replace their inefficient top-load washing machine with a new front-load appliance to boost water efficiency and reduce the cost of living.

However, the trial only applied to people living in homes owned and managed by NSW Land and Housing Corporation or the Aboriginal Housing Office.

And, disappointingly, for Ms Aitchison, the Maitland LGA was excluded from the list.

So, she lobbied the NSW Government for her constituents living in homes operated by Community Housing Providers to be included in the trial, writing to the Minister for Lands and Water and delivering a Notice of Motion in the NSW Parliament.

“Social housing tenants living in Maitland were unfairly omitted from the initial trial simply by a stroke of the Minister’s pen,” Ms Aitchison said.

“It’s just another example of the government failing to properly target cost of living assistance to those who most need it.”

Ms Aitchison then noticed the NSW Government’s website had been updated to expand the pilot program to include all social housing properties in all LGAs across NSW, with the closing date extended until 30 September.

“This is a cost of living win for social housing tenants living in my electorate,” she said.

“I am very pleased that my advocacy has assisted social housing tenants in Maitland, and indeed across NSW, to access the trial. 

“The community is sick of the government’s rorts and deals, which don’t target the help to people who need it.

“Everyone in social housing deserves to have the same access to the pilot program regardless of who is managing their tenancy or which LGA they live in.

“The government’s arbitrary exclusion of Community Housing Providers, and many of the state’s LGAs, meant that few, if any, of the social housing tenants were eligible for the cost of living assistance afforded by the program.

“People in the Maitland electorate should have had access to the trial from day one.”

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