Introduction Lucy Adams, Manager & Principal Lawyer Melbourne - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Melbourne Office PO Box 16013 Melbourne VIC Tel +61 3 8636 4400 Fax +61 3 8636 4455

justiceconnect.org.au/homelesslaw

Homeless Law: Introduction

Lucy Adams, Manager & Principal Lawyer

To Toda day y

1.The context – homelessness in Victoria 2.Homeless Law – our services 3.Changing laws, policies and practices 4.The team, social media and PIMS 5.Consumer insights and perspectives

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Homelessness elessness in Victoria toria

• There are over 22,000 people who are homeless in Victoria
• Homeless Victorians are staying in refuges, temporary

accommodation or rooming houses, sleeping in cars or couch surfing and sleeping rough

• Nearly 45% of homeless Victorians are women
• Domestic and family violence is now the single biggest cause of

homelessness in Victoria. The acute shortage of affordable housing is another major cause

• Almost half of homeless Victorians are under 25 and one-sixth are

kids under 12

• There are 35,000 people on the waiting list for public housing in

Victoria

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Jody

Facing eviction into homelessness

Homeless eless Law

• Specialist legal service for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness
• Eight member law firms and seven weekly outreac

reach clinics – located at services that are accessible to our clients, including homeless services and health services

• We assist with some civi

vil legal gal issues sues, not criminal, family or immigration

• Our two main areas of practice are eviction

ction preventi ention and infr fringements ngements for r publi blic space ace offences ences

• Other legal issues we assist with include credit and debt matters and

guardianship and administration orders

• Integr

egrat ated ed practice – two social workers on our team

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Eviction prevention 129 clients and their families in 2013–14

Public space

• ffences

109 clients in FY 2013–14

In the Public Eye – personal al stories s of homeless ssne ness ss and fines fines

• Launched by the

Victorian Attorney- General in 2013

• 3000 views
• Aims to raise

awareness of the impact of fines on people experiencing homelessness

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Law reform,

• rm, policy

icy and projects jects

• Evidence-based – informed by our casework
• Two key priorities:

–Preventing evictions into homelessness –Reducing the negative impact of the fines system on people experiencing homelessness

• Strategies include written submissions, relationships

with government, use of the media and strategic litigation

• Major fines reform, Women’s Homelessness Prevention

Project, debt and tenancy help for prisoners, begging evaluation

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2015 5 strateg ategic ic policy icy projects jects

• Royal Commission into Family Violence

–WHPP – legal representation and social work support –55 women assisted with 83 kids in their care –90% have experienced family violence –75% are facing eviction for arrears –Six months in: 83% had been able to sustain safe and secure housing

• Eight year review of Victoria’s Human Rights Charter

Burgess & Anor v Director of Housing & Anor [2014] VSC 648

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Homeless eless Law team m and resources

• urces
• Esther Grant / Sally Kenyon, Legal Administrator
• Patrick Warner, Lawyer
• Katie Ho, Lawyer
• Anna Lyons, Senior Lawyer
• Lucy Adams, Manager and Principal Lawyer
• Sarah Roberts, Homeless Persons’ Liaison Officer
• Antoinette Russo, Liaison Officer, Women’s

Homelessness Prevention Project

• Homeless Law in Practice http://www.hlp.org.au/
• Facebook www.facebook.com/homelesslaw
• Twitter www.twitter.com/homelesslaw
• PIMS https://pims.justiceconnect.org.au

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Direct insights about homelessness