Caxton Legal Centre is pleased to announce that it has received funding from the Queensland Government to continue to provide legal services for people in retirement villages and manufactured home parks until mid-2023.
The program will undergo a name change with the name Queensland Retirement Village and Parks Advice Service (QRVPAS) to replace the name Park and Village Information Link (PAVIL). This new name has been chosen to better reflect nature of the services that Caxton delivers as a key partner with the Queensland Government’s Department of Housing and Public Works.
Under the QRVPAS program, Caxton will continue to provide specialist advice and information to residents of retirement villages and manufactured home parks, and assist residents to understand and exercise their rights under the contracts and legislation which govern their living arrangements.
“This is a complex area of law and we know that seniors can be particularly vulnerable. Our job is to arm people with information that helps them stand up for themselves,” said QRVPAS lawyer Brittany Smeed.
“We are thankful that the Department has recognised the need for a specialised legal advice services in this area, and continues to support the work that we do at Caxton. The commitment to long-term funding will provide us with greater certainty about the future of our service and allow us to keep advocating for residents’ interests.”
Since 2014 Caxton has assisted older people living in retirement villages and manufactured home parks through this specialist program. It includes the delivery of legal advice, information and education sessions to residents (or prospective residents) of parks and villages across Queensland. Staff have also been heavily involved in law reform activities in the area, including participating in detailed consultation regarding the Housing Legislation (Building Better Futures) Amendment Act 2017 (Qld) which resulted in new amendments to the Retirement Villages Act 1999 (Qld) and the Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Act 2003 to introduce greater protections for residents.
“Caxton’s QRVPAS team are looking forward to building on the existing work of the PAVIL program to continue to deliver high quality legal advice, information and education services for residents,” said Ms Smeed.