ISR - Students - Student stories

Student 6: Tenant, Queensland

Why did you do the course?
My role as President of QPTA saw me regularly involved in advocating for public housing tenants in Queensland with key policy makers, and key decision makers, in government. I also worked side by side with other peak organisations' professional workers.

I felt that it was important to my role to understand the wider housing sector and its history, in order to advocate for tenants with the best access to information, and to the best of my ability.

I was offered a scholarship by the Department of Housing to do the course, and subsequently the Department has provided this scholarship in an ongoing way to a new QPTA delegate each year since.

What were the benefits of doing the course?
I believe that studying the course gave me a clearer picture of the system as a whole, and provided me with the confidence to advocate for tenants from a position of formal knowledge, coupled with my first-hand experience as a tenant ... The best of both worlds.

Did your specific housing skills and knowledge improve as a result?
I do believe that the course provided me with a more comprehensive knowledge of the housing system, and how it all fits together.

An added benefit to my doing the course is the ongoing sponsorship provided by the Department of Housing in Queensland. This means there will be a steady stream of well-informed public housing tenants to follow for years to come.

Where do you think your working future lies?
My dedication is to advocating for tenants in the social housing system, and I believe that my future will be to continue in this role.

I think the challenge for my particular part of the housing sector will be enormous, as we try to keep a strong public housing system on political agendas, so strong confident advocates will be incredibly important.

Any other comments?
I enjoyed studying the course, it proved to be a challenge for me, given my age and lack of initial formal schooling. I left school 37 years before, having passed the equivalent of Year 10, so taking on study which was so different from the classroom style I had completed so long before, was a challenge to my personal time management skills. I needed to ensure I had time to read the supplied information, try to find time to read more widely, and set aside time to complete the assignments prior to due dates.