Racist Adelaide landlords refusing ‘black or brown’ applicants, advocate says

“You ain’t getting a look in.” Adelaide landlords are refusing people homes purely because of their skin colour, an advocate says.

Aboriginal people are being frozen out of the rental market by racism as landlords reject “black or brown” applicants, an advocate says.

The stance is exacerbating homelessness and overcrowding among First Nations people and driving some on to city streets, says Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council of SA director Scott Wilson.

“If you’re Aboriginal the chances are once you turn up to the (rental property) viewing you ain’t getting a look in,” he told the Sunday Mail.

“As soon as they see they’re black or brown … the real estate industry say they aren’t racist but if you rock up you get told the house is already taken. But you know it’s not, because the house is still advertised.”

Mr Wilson, who is a member of the Stolen Generations and an Adjunct Associate Professor with Sydney University, said his relatives were among those to experience that scenario.

He said First Nations people were more reliant on public housing but this too was difficult to secure.

Emergency housing may only be offered for one or two nights at a time and Mr Wilson questioned how many rough sleepers were aware of crisis accommodation services.

His comments come as authorities have flagged plans to increase police numbers and search powers to tackle public violence, alcohol and drug use and general anti-social behaviour in the Adelaide CBD.

The greatest concerns centre around the western part of North Tce, outside the Convention Centre, railway station and Parliament House, and Hindley St.

“You walk down Hindley St at three o’clock in the afternoon and you can see people slowly setting up where they’re going to sleep for the night,” Mr Wilson said.

“They go to areas around the railway station or Hindley St because it’s safer for them. They’re well lit (areas), there’s lots of people.

“But then we, as a society, think this is outrageous because I saw a homeless person and they asked me for a cigarette or $10 and if they’re intoxicated and I say no they might get a bit aggro.”

Mr Wilson said people may also be drinking alcohol to distract from the “freezing cold”.

“If you don’t have housing then you’re going to have a whole host of other health issues and that then costs us even more money as a society,” he said.

Addressing the housing affordability crisis was a key focus of the latest state budget, delivered by the government earlier in June.

It pledged to build an extra 564 Housing Trust homes, stop the sale of 580 properties and redevelop the CBD Franklin St bus depot to offer affordable apartments.

Mr Wilson said these initiatives were needed but would take years to deliver.

In the meantime, funding should be allocated to support services to operate on the streets overnight, he said.

“Most places close at 5pm. Most of the problems we might be seeing on the streets are after-hours and the only people you’re seeing in the streets after-hours are police.

“If you’ve already had a bad relationship with police and, let’s say, you’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol and police come up and search someone … they’re going to get a bit narky.”

Whereas a support service worker could have a conversation about why a person is sleeping rough and refer them to support services, he said.

Some operate in the CBD overnight, such as the St Vincent de Paul Fred’s Van meal service and the Mobile Assistance Patrol vehicle which transports intoxicated people to a sobering up centre in Whitmore Square.

However, Mr Wilson argued such services were underfunded to meet demand.