Boulter Rd residents ‘devastated’ after shock eviction notice

Aged pensioners living at 18 social housing properties in Darwin say they are devastated after being told to clear out, after the developer owners decided not to renew their lease.

After being handed a shock eviction notice, Darwin residents Kevin and Susan Cooper are holding out slim hope they will be able to stay at the Boulter Rd house they have made a home. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Aged pensioners living at 18 social housing properties say they are ‘devastated’ after being handed eviction notices advising they must leave their homes of almost a decade.

Kevin Cooper, 74, has lived at 69 Boulter Rd, Berrimah, for nine years with his wife Susan, and said “we’d really love to stay”.

“We’re devastated, we’ve looked after this place, I’ve won awards for my garden,” he said.

“We’ve made friends here, and so has everyone else – it’s upsetting for 18 families.

“Everyone was getting worried, I’ve had a headache ever since we found out.”

Darwin residents Kevin and Susan Cooper. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The Northern Territory government leased the Boutler Rd homes from DCOH – formerly part of Halikos – on a nine-year term which the company has decided not to renew.

Residents have been told they will need to leave by November 7, with the government helping them find a covering the costs of their relocation to a new home.

Two workers from Territory Housing visited the residents last Tuesday to hand out the eviction notices, speaking with 13 residents face-to-face and posting letters to the remaining five not home at the time.

Residents of 69 Boulter Rd, Berrimah, are calling for developers to reconsider after being told they will have to move out of their social housing in November. Picture: Fia Walsh.

Council on the Ageing NT chief executive Sue Shearer said it was a “cruel” way to deliver the news.

“If communication had been more forthcoming they wouldn’t have had to go through all that stress – some of them have health conditions,” she said.

“This should have probably been done face-to-face and months ago.”

Urban Housing Minister and local member Ngaree Ah Kit hosted an information session with the residents and Territory Housing officials on Monday night, helping to explain the situation and hear their concerns.

Deputy CEO of Territory Housing Brent Warren addresses the concerned Boutler Rd residents at Monday's information session.

Mr Cooper and Ms Shearer said the meeting was constructive, and were holding out hope an arrangement could be made with DCOH to extend the lease.

“Seniors make great tenants – we don’t have wild parties, we don’t abuse the property,” Ms Shearer said.

Ms Ah Kit said she had told her department more notice of the eviction should have been given to residents.

“It really was heartbreaking to hear that they didn’t see this coming,” she said.

“Our commitment is if we can keep them where they are, because they’re all very, very happy, we will work hard to try and do that.

“We don’t own the property, it’s up to the owners, but we made sure that we gave the commitment to follow up in every avenue that we possibly can.”

A spokeswoman for Solis, a real estate division of DCOH, said it individually owned and managed 19 duplexes at 69 Boulter Rd.

“Housing entered into a 5+2+2 year lease agreement, which is due to expire early 2025, with no further options to extend,” she said.