Human Rights for the Homeless

The PILCH Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic has spent an interesting few weeks talking to people with an experience of homelessness about human rights in Australia.

The availability and standard of housing is a key issue. Tim* was stunned when a real estate agent told him to ignore the syringes covering the floor and the smashed back door of a premises. Lisa told of escaping from domestic violence to find ‘refuge’ in emergency housing.

She discovered that these days $170 per week secures a ‘hellhole’ with moldy carpet and housemates with chronic drug addition issues. In such conditions, squatting in abandoned offices or sleeping rough has become a ‘good option’ for many.

Centrelink, health care, education and non-discrimination are also important concerns. Sarah told me, ‘I had to be in an emergency room for two days with no painkillers for a surgery that went wrong because they thought I was a heroin user’. Gary spoke of leaving home because of violence when he was 13 and trying to live on $130 a fortnight because he was unable to ‘prove’ to Centrelink that he was independent.

One thing is clear, human rights matter to people who have experienced homelessness. Our consultations were asked the question, ‘in the future, what would life be like for you if your human rights are not adequately protected?’ For a number of respondents, the answer is the same. Brutal and direct. ‘I will be dead.’

The HPLC has talked to over 140 people with an experience of homelessness for the National Human Rights Consultation.

* Names have been changed.

Chris Povey
Lawyer/ Policy Officer
PILCH Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic