John is given the gift of time

John* had been living in his public housing property for nearly 20 years. He was referred to Homeless Legal when his landlord obtained an order to evict him. John was devastated by the prospect of losing his long-term home and did not have anywhere else to go.

His landlord evicted John because of unacceptable levels of clutter in his home. John was willing to address these concerns but struggled to make progress due to his many physical and mental health issues. He desperately needed more time to make the necessary changes.

Homeless Legal helped him to apply for an urgent review of the decision to evict him. We helped him to access the concession rate for his application and to provide supporting evidence including a statement about his personal circumstances.

At the review hearing, orders were made about clean-up plans, financial counselling and other supports but, critically, John was given the gift of time.

Since then, John has been engaging with various supports, including a psychiatrist, and has been making improvements at home. His situation will continue to be monitored but if John continues to make changes, he will be able to stay in his home.  We are eagerly watching John’s progress.

John thanked JusticeNet profusely, citing the limited help available for people in his situation, and how important JusticeNet's work is in catching those people who would otherwise fall through the cracks in the system.

*Name changed to protect privacy

First published 18 Oct 2021
Image credit: Photo by Soroush Karimi of Unsplash