Languages - information for multi-cultural applicants

Community Housing Language Services

All housing associations across the state have access to interpreter services so that applicants can find out about services in their own language. Beyond this, some organisations have specific resources and services to help people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

How to Contact a Housing Association using an Interpreter Service
First, find the community housing association you want to ring. Take a look at our directory of housing associations for this information or ring us on (02) 92817144 and ask for the closest housing association in your area. If you are able to ring without an interpreter, you can ring them directly. If you need an interpreter, call the Translating and Interpreter Service (TIS) on 131 450, explain that you need an interpreter of your language and give them the name and phone number of the housing association. They will ring the housing association for you and will translate the information. The interpreter will not cost you any money.

Housing Associations that offer other Language Services

Coastal Community Tenancy Scheme
Coastal Community Tenancy Scheme has the renting guide for tenants in multiple languages in the waiting room and has links with neighbourhood centers that have language services.

Cumberland Housing Co-op Limited
Cumberland Housing Co-op Limited provides fact sheets in Arabic and Vietnamese. It has staff who speak Arabic, French, Greek, Polish, Serbian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese. Also, when possible, they can translate some mail to tenants in their own language.

Cumberland Housing Co-op Limited also has established links with other organisations, including a number of support partners that deal with different cultural groups and agencies that work people with disabilities and/or mental health issues. Cumberland Housing Co-op Limited involves tenants to ensure a strong focus on service provision for all tenants, including the use of tenant satisfaction surveys and running a tenant council where tenants can provide feedback and recommendations. The Tenant Council has also established the Friendship Aged Network with the aim of providing a follow up service and activities for elderly tenants, such as fortnightly telephone calls, fitness classes, arts workshops, sewing classes and excursions.

Hume Community Housing Association
Hume Community Housing Association has information available in Arabic, Vietnamese, Spanish and Serbian.  

South West Inner Sydney Housing Cooperative Ltd
South West Inner Sydney Housing Cooperative Ltd’s (SWISH’s) Appeals and Complaints pamphlet is translated into Vietnamese. SWISH also attaches information on how to access the Telephone Interpreters’ Service if a client needs the letter explained by a SWISH staff member. The attachment is in English, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian and Arabic.

Women’s Housing Company
Women’s Housing Company (WHC) is in the process of having information such as applications, tenant manual, rent arrears and rehousing documents translated into other languages.
WHC has employed a community development worker. One of their objectives is to involve tenants from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in tenant participation activities. As part of this it is aiming to develop a pool of tenant volunteer translators who will be paid an honorary fee. Another objective is to expand networking and open ways for more partnerships with new agencies, in particular those working with CALD women.
Currently, WHC has a dedicated block of ten units in partnership with Muslim Women’s Association.