Eviction crisis looms for our most vulnerable amid ‘perfect storm’ of economic factors
A “perfect storm” of factors is leaving Adelaide’s most vulnerable open to exploitation, with figuresin show the number of people fighting eviction or asking to be let out of contracts has spiked.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A looming eviction crisis is rising across South Australia as the economic impacts of a summer of bushfires and COVID-19 leave both landlords and renters in dire financial situations.
The Women’s Legal Service has warned that a “perfect storm” of financial hardship across most areas of society has left the state’s most vulnerable exposed to exploitation.
The warning comes as the number of tenants appealing against eviction decisions or asking to be released from tenancy contracts in the Civil and Administrative Tribunal on hardship and domestic violence grounds has almost doubled in the past year.
The Legal Services Commission has also dealt with more than 1100 requests for help with housing matters in the past financial year, an increase of 70 per cent on previous years.
Chief executive of the Women’s Legal Service Zita Ngor said the figures are just the tip of the iceberg and female renters are witnessing illegal rent hikes and exploitative behaviour by landlords.
“We are definitely seeing an increase in the number of people going through the eviction process, as well as other issues relating to tenancy,” she said.
“The impact of COVID and the bushfires has created severe hardship for people in our community who are already vulnerable and at risk of being taken advantage of by unscrupulous members of our broader community.”
Ms Ngor said that the eviction rate was heading towards a “crisis point”.
“We are holding our breath until September when we as a community will know the full extent of the economic downturn,” she said.
“It has created the perfect storm where you have hardship across the board and the reality is a lot of people are struggling and they are reluctant to seek help because they don’t think there is anyone out there to help them.”
Figures released by South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT)’s housing and tenancy stream show the number of domestic violence and hardship applications has increased from 99 to 190 in the period between January 1 and June 28.
The total number of applications has decreased by more than 1000 in that time.
Legal Services Commission manager of access services Chris Boundy said legal aid had experienced a 70 per cent increase in inquiries about housing matters in the last financial year. “We dealt with 1156 of those inquiries in that period compared to 680 inquiries the previous financial year,” he said.
“COVID-19 is affecting the ability of some people to pay their rent and it’s also increasing the chances of domestic violence occurring in some circumstances.”
Unlike Ms Ngor, Mr Boundy said he did not believe that the increase was in housing inquiries was directly linked to COVID-19-related hardship or domestic violence.
SACAT deputy president Barbara Johns said hardship and domestic violence applications often involved attempts to be let out of binding tenancy contracts.
New COVID laws mean tenants cannot be evicted if they convince the tribunal that they are suffering financial hardship.
“SACAT has received a number of tenant applications for relief from financial hardship due to COVID,” Ms Johns said.
“There is no one size fits all for these matters — Tribunal members will consider every case on its merits and make orders appropriately.”