Renters & Housing Union

RAHU Objectives

Submitted by Will (Comms O.B.)

• Proposal: Add from following Document the “Objectives Section” to the RAHU Bylaws under a new sections “RAHU Objectives”
• Full Document. 
• Text to add in full:

“RAHU has multiple objectives both in the short, medium, and long term:
Short Term:
These are goals the RAHU is actively organising for and fighting for in the immediate now.
– Organisation! Not advocacy! – Organising and mobilisation of tenants and tenant economic power, physical power and to fight for a better society.
– Collectivism and Radicalism – The building of an explicitly radical, socially and economically left wing and politicised Tenants Union, And with the building of networks under such a union to support tenants, and unite them under a singular tenants union.
– Collective Bargaining – The establishment of collectively bargained leases across Australia to set precedent and develop organisational strategies.
– Building of RAHU branches across so-called Australia and with such networks of mobilisation and support for tenant members
Medium Term:
Goals that RAHU aims to achieve within the next 5 to 15 years:
– Achievement of the Demands of the RAHU
– Education – As a part of our political objectives, be a force for the education of tenants about their situation and why the RAHU organises the way it does.
– Unity – The unification of all tenants, renters, squatters, homeless and all negatively affected by the housing market into a singular union – the Renters And Housing Union – to fight together and represent them all as a class.
Long Term:
The aspirational, “visionary” goals of the RAHU:
– Abolition of Rent.
– Housing as a human right – shelter for all and as an unconditional human right, and the abolition of homelessness.
– First Nations Liberation – Indigenous sovereignty and independent control over their own affairs, land care, and culture without interference.”

Decision: Will agreed to delay vote on Objectives will be delayed until after RAHU Governing Committee strategy meeting on Feb

Discord Moderation Policy

Submitted by ADU (Sec.)/Dexter (Delegate)

• Proposal: Overhaul to discord rules, creation of moderation team.
• Full document.

Decision: Passed

Renters Rights Support Restructure Proposal

Submitted by Milly (Co-Members. OB)

• Proposal: Housing issues without urgent time lines must be taken to branch meetings. Members who email requesting support are directed to their closest branch or GMB. 
• Every branch meeting allocates time for housing issues
• Aiming to have at least one RRST caseworker present at every branch meeting
• The issue is explained, then members try to solve it together. Issues can be discussed all together as a branch or small break out groups.
• If there is not a RRST caseworker present and the branch needs more expertise on the issue, RRST may be contacted via email or phone call by a branch delegate. 
• Only urgent issues/ time sensitive issues are managed via email or phone call with RRST

Decision: Passed

Media ban on using real names of members

Originally submitted by non GC member, who since left union- Moved to discussed by ADU (sec.) .

• Proposal: I think we should as *a general rule, never give the media our names. Whenever we make a media statement, it should be on behalf of the union, the positions e.g “co-media officers”, “rahu member, 32, Adelaide”, or an alias. Members may share details without realising how severely this will impact your ability to get a lease. From what I’m aware, no RAHU secretary has ever been able to sign a lease once their names were published in the media. Any landlord/REA who knows how to use google or chatgpt will use any association with RAHU or tenancy advocacy against them, and refuse leases in a hot market. There are informal blacklists that exist via REA platforms. I think it’s a conscious reason why some members also don’t want to talk to the media or hold media positions.

• for those wishing to share their real name, a waiver must be signed electronically or physically to confirm informed consent and potential implications of publicising your name

Decision: Due to lack of time no formal decision or vote took place, to be discussed at next GC with Comms O.B. agreeing to seek written consent of members name use in public statements until then.

RAHU Bylaws Re-affirmation

submitted by Will (Comms O.B.)

Apparently the bylaws as contained and written currently in the RAHU Bylaws document are not the full bylaws and stuff was passed before 2023 that isn’t in the document. In light of this I want to suggest we do a quick motion that reads as the following

“RAHU Governing Committee – as empowered by the RAHU Constitution – sets the current RAHU bylaws, as written here: https://rahu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/RAHU-Bylaws-16092025.pdf (and included in full at the end of these minutes as Appendix Item 1. ) as the bylaws of the RAHU. Any other previously passed bylaw, motions, amendments or changes before September 1st 2025 that affect the bylaws are not to be considered valid if not included or not as written in this document, and are overridden by this affirmation. Any changes made to the bylaws at this meeting are to be included as well.”

This is basically a re-affirmation of the existing bylaws as written to avoid future ambiguity. I made it September 1st, just in case there was any changes that weren’t noted or a bylaw wasn’t put into the document properly.

• Not being voted on today, just raised.
• Helps make access and use of union easier for members.
• Apparently bylaws as they currently are aren’t 100% accurate. So including this for future stuff.
• Happy to have a discussion about future bylaws.

Decision: Not Discussed at Jan GC meeting due to lack of time. Will be voted on at Feb Meeting.

Meeting Procedure Amendment

submitted by Kali (Operations O.B.)

While initially put forward with good intent, the bylaw Part 2, Clause 3 (5) suggests passing motions with a 66% vote in favour. This, however, contradicts the requirements specific to governing committee meetings specified in the constitution under Part 3, Clause 16 (2). Notably, the requirement is exclusive to the Governing Committee, and the bylaw is only a non-binding suggestion (so we haven’t accidentally passed an illegal bylaw or anything), but regardless I would suggest we remove the clause and/or replace it with a suggestion to pass motions with a majority (if not a requirement) as there are obvious concerns around internal democracy in RAHU if we allow a minority position to dictate how the union runs.

As such, I propose the motion: Amend bylaw Part 2, Clause 3 (5) to say “Decisions are made democratically. If a majority of people who vote do so in favour of the motion, the motion passes”

Alternatively, we could simply remove Part 2, Clause 3 (5) and add a new bylaw that states branch meetings must pass any motions that meet the majority requirement, as we actually seem to not have any current requirement in the constitution or bylaws to run branch meetings democratically — only Governing Committee meetings and General Meetings — although please correct me if I’ve missed something. If we wanted to do something like that, it might look like this: Remove bylaw Part 2, Clause 3 (5), therefore moving Part 2, Clause 3 (6) to (5) and Part 2, Clause 3 (7) to (6) and create new bylaw Part 6, Clause 5 “Branch Meeting Democracy” (1) to say “Where a motion is passed at a branch meeting, adhering to any relevant branch-level bylaws, with a majority vote in favour that motion must be passed.” Note: I’m not sure the bit about moving bylaws 6 & 7 to 5 & 6 is necessary, but someone else who knows more can comment on that

Decision: Not Discussed at Jan GC meeting, potentially will be discussed next GC