The Blue Mountains Community Legal Centre has commenced a project to assist young people with information about their rights and responsibilities when seeking access to the housing rental market, by running a tenancy information and training project.

This project aims to improve the capacity of young people for self-reliance by informing them of their rights about tenancy and empowering them to take action on their own behalf.

Discrimination on the basis of age can sometimes prevent young people securing private rental accommodation.

16% of the overall Blue Mountains population (11,343 )
are young people between the ages of 13-24.

In cooperation with Western Sydney Tenants Service (WESTS) the project will put together an information kit on general tenancy issues and on issues of particular concern to young people and will be distributed to young people via local youth centres.

WESTS provide free tenancy information and advice on Thursdays at the Blue Mountains Community Legal Centre, Katoomba.

Young people and youth workers surveyed by Sonia Ashby in mid 1997 highlighted the following issues:

* "How do I get a place of my own"?
*Cost of establishing a tenancy/budgeting.
*Need to share and lack of legislation re sharing.
*Rights and responsibilities of tenants / need for education.
*Assistance available 0 Department of Housing (DOH)
*Dealing with the 'paperwork'.
*Young people are discriminated against (ie appearance) this makes it difficult to even secure a tenancy
*Dealing with Real Estate Agents.

Marc Cobham the project worker, is looking forward to helping "empower" local young people.
Sonia Ashby, the co-worker involved with the project stated that.....

"This project is a good opportunity to highlight the difficulties young people experience with all aspects of tenancy. I(t will be really good to assist young people in the Blue Mountains to obtain a fairer deal."

Workshops will be held mid 1998 for workers and local young people.

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