‘Filthy’ Campbelltown housing trust property left to rot in accommodation crisis

The government has defended the tenants of a housing trust property that was “covered in rubbish for weeks”, leading to complaints from locals.

A Campbelltown housing trust unit has been left in “heartbreaking” squalor in the middle of the state’s accommodation crisis, the opposition says.

Opposition spokeswoman Michelle Lensink said local residents had raised complaints about the state of the Wattle St property, which has been covered in rubbish for weeks.

“We know that there’s a record number of South Australians who are having trouble finding accommodation,” she said.

“This is a good-size, family home and there’s a whole lot of rubbish that’s just been left here.”

Ms Lensink called on the state government to clean up the property “as soon as possible” to allow families to move in.

A Campbelltown housing trust home left with piles of rubbish dumped outside. Picture: Supplied

The opposition says residents have raised complaints about the property. Picture: Supplied

“Available housing is incredibly scarce in SA at the moment, so properties like this one should be treasured not treated like trash,” Ms Lensink said.

“I feel incredible sorry for the neighbours who are forced to live next to this filthy mess, which is not only an eyesore but might even pose a health and safety risk.”

Human Services Minister Nat Cook hit back at Ms Lensink, saying the tenants of the home were an “extremely vulnerable family” who had lived there “without a blemish” on their record.

“We have no record or history of any signs of filth, any signs of squalor within that tenancy – the tenancy itself ended only about two weeks ago,” she said.

A ‘heartbreaking’ scene of squalor outside a recently vacated public housing property at Campbelltown has led to calls for the state government to clean up so a family in need can move in. Details in 7NEWS Adelaide at 6pm. #saparli#7NEWSpic.twitter.com/fq5L5PEPFN

— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) October 11, 2023

Ms Cook said she understood the tenants had expected a hard rubbish collection from council when they moved from the property.

However, she said the government had not been notified of the request until Monday.

“We’ll check to see if there’s any breakdown in communication or whether something hasn’t been followed through,” she said.

“This isn’t squalor, this is belongings that have been left on a footpath. Squalor is filth and hoarding – unlivable conditions.

“It wouldn’t be honest or appropriate to characterise this tenancy or this house as filthy … it’s actually just a demonisation of public housing tenants, which continues by (Ms Lensink) – it is not appropriate.”

Ms Cook said new tenants were expected to be in the property within four weeks from the previous tenants’ vacate date.

It comes after The Advertiser revealed public housing troublemakers spark more than 130 anti-social behaviour complaints a week on average, with almost 65,000 housing trust complaints recorded over the past decade.

The Opposition claimed a Liberal crackdown on bad behaviour launched four years ago had “unravelled” under Labor, with a sharp spike in complaints over the past year.

Upper House Liberal MP Michelle Lensink accused Labor of “unravelling” a former government crackdown. Picture: Matt Loxton

State government officials, however, said anti-social behaviour was not tolerated and was a breach of tenancy conditions but authorities had to strike a balance between managing complex issues with residents having a right to live peacefully.

The SA Housing Authority data revealed a 25 per cent spike in complaints over the past financial year to an almost decade-high of nearly 6900.

Almost half of all complaints – nearly 31,000 – were recorded as serious or criminal linked to a property or intentional and reckless home damage along with moderate objections for repeated noise, behaviour or house-related issues.

Most incidents – 33,676 – were deemed minor noise complaints, anti-social behaviour or property damage, according to analysis of the most comprehensive data released in more than 10 years.