David avoids eviction

David* is a pensioner and has been a tenant of Housing SA for 20 years. Recently, Housing SA applied to the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT) to terminate his tenancy due to allegations that he had caused a nuisance to staff members and neighbours. Such applications can have especially serious implications for Housing SA tenants - including homelessness - because they have very limited other housing options. The legal action brought by Housing SA was particularly challenging for David because of his advanced age and chronic health issues.

JusticeNet’s Homeless Legal service assisted David to prepare a written statement disputing the allegations and providing some relevant information about his personal circumstances. Homeless Legal also helped him to obtain some relevant medical and character evidence. The SACAT decided not to terminate David’s tenancy and noted in its written reasons that the medical and character evidence was relevant to the decision.

*Name changed to protect privacy

First published 21 Mar 2021