New addition to community law team

Baywide Community Law Service housing advocate Shard Liobl, centre, flanked by volunteers Vanessa Ward and Denise Forrester. Photo: Ryan Wood.

Lawyer Shard Liobl has recently joined the Baywide Community Law Service team as their specialist in housing and tenancy issues.

He says the current housing crisis and actions by the previous government mean a dedicated service advising people on property and tenancy law is ‘definitely needed'.

'Unfortunately the previous government decided it would be good to sell our state houses in Tauranga as a trial. They thought if it worked here they would try it in other cities, but it hasn't worked.”

Shard says much of the old state housing stock is now managed by Accessible Properties, and most of his clients are their tenants. But he believes he works well with both sides when disputes arise.

'Now I tend to work as a mediator before they issue eviction notices to their tenants. I prefer to work with them to keep tenants homed, or move them to another property.”

Shard, who has previously worked in the mental health sector and for Ngati Ranginui, studied for around six years part-time to get his law degree.

He was admitted to the bar last year, and is keen to get his teeth into the ‘housing side of things'.

As well as offering a free workshop on Wednesday nights pertaining to all aspects of the law, Shard is hosting one on Thursday nights from 5.30-6.30pm focusing just on legal advice relating to housing.

'It's all free, and if we can't help people, we show them where they can get it.”

To find out more information, or to volunteer with Baywide Community Law Service, visit www.baywidecls.org.nz.

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