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Kate avoids eviction
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Kate’s story
In the face of eviction and being blacklisted for poor rental history, Kate sought legal help with the WHPP.
Kate recently separated from her husband and he left the private rental property where they were co-tenants. Kate stayed at the house with their three sons, but two weeks after her husband left she was forced to obtain an IVO due to escalating threats and visits to the property.
Once the IVO was served, Kate’s husband withdrew all financial support for her and her children. When Kate spoke to the real estate agent, she was told they were almost $3,000 in arrears, and her husband hadn’t told her about a notice to vacate that had previously been issued.
Kate wanted to leave the property but felt she had to repay the arrears first, or she’d be blacklisted and the poor rental history would make it impossible to find new housing with three children.
Kate’s homeless law lawyer represented her at VCAT and advocated for the Tribunal to place her on an affordable re-payment plan, which enabled Kate to repay the arrears over several months. The WHPP social worker also assisted Kate to locate a more affordable private rental property, and she eventually moved into this property after clearing her arrears debt and avoiding a database listing.
Without this assistance, Kate may have been evicted from her property with three children, and listed on a tenancy database which would have created a significant barrier to her finding new stable housing.
Beyond the individual impact, stories like Kate’s demonstrate the urgent need for fairer housing systems that do not penalise people who experience family violence.
Justice Connect continues to combine frontline help with systemic advocacy, ensuring more people have the chance to recover, rebuild, and find safe housing.
Please note, Kate* is a pseudonym. All individuals in this story have been deidentified.
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