Drug dealers will be booted out of public housing and other tenants will have to abide by a "three strikes" bad behaviour policy, the NSW government says.
Premier Mike Baird says he is sick and tired of a small criminal element "terrorising their neighbours and selling drugs in public housing".
"Enough is enough," he told reporters in Sydney's southwest. "We don't want to tolerate the sort of behaviour that we are seeing."
Increased powers will be given to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal to terminate tenancies under the new policy.
A "three strikes" policy will be introduced for repeated bad behaviour, including noise disruptions and abusing other tenants.
Neighbours will also be able to make confidential complaints about bad behaving tenants to the tribunal.
Community Services Minister Gabrielle Upton pointed out that there were 60,000 people on the public housing waiting list.
"We're sending a very strong message to those who flout the law that you don't deserve the opportunity for public housing: it is a privilege," she said.
Council of Social Service of NSW CEO Tracy Howe says the government must acknowledge that many people who live in social housing have complex needs.
"Government has a responsibility to ensure any social housing policy aims to break cycles of disadvantage and responds sensibly and fairly to the many and varied experiences of people living in social housing," she said.
Opposition Leader Luke Foley dismissed the state government's "three strikes" plan.
"Surely the state's public housing policy ought to be more rigorous than that," he said.
Mr Foley said he would announce Labor's policy on public housing during next month's election campaign.
"It will involve a real commitment to building the stock of social housing," he said.
Share
