Joint Statement: Calling for a moratorium on Housing Authority ‘without grounds’ evictions from public housing

Circle Green Community Legal and the entire WA Tenancy Network of community legal centres have issued a joint statement urging the West Australian government to halt all further “without grounds” evictions from public housing following an injunction in the Federal Court in September 2022.

Last month, the Federal Court of Australia granted an injunction to an Aboriginal public housing tenant to prevent the termination of his “fixed term” public housing tenancy based on a racial discrimination complaint lodged with the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC).

Since the injunction was granted, the Housing Authority has enforced another “without grounds” eviction against an elderly Aboriginal man, who is now homeless.

We believe it is essential to halt all “without grounds” terminations while the AHRC complaint is ongoing, to avoid further risk of eviction to homelessness and excess litigation from other tenants forced to lodge similar actions with the Federal Court and AHRC in attempts to prevent an eviction.

View the joint statement

Read the opinion – Alice Pennycott (Principal Lawyer for Tenancy) in WAtoday on 7 October 2022.