Residents in Adelaide’s north have raised the alarm over a number of public homes they say have “disgusting” conditions with walls covered in black mould and rubbish piled near the front.
Neighbours in Davoren Park said a man living with multiple disabilities was living at a home on their street for 13 years in conditions they described as being beneath “Third World standards”.
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“(It’s) disgusting. No human being should live in those kinds of standards,” neighbour Brodie* said.
Brodie said he and several neighbours helped the man vacant the property in August and were shocked at the extent of the damage when they entered the house.
Brodie said the tenant’s disabilities meant he struggled to communicate and Brodie questioned why his support workers didn’t help him move into a better home earlier.
“The fact he had multiple people come around to help him from different organisations, and it’s still left like that, is 100 per cent disgusting,” he said.
“I think he was ignored … they just didn’t care because he couldn’t speak up.
“It’s Third World country standards right there.”
The SA government has committed to building more than 500 new affordable homes and refurbishing a further 350 existing public homes to help alleviate housing stress in the state.
It confirmed the home in Davoren Park would be demolished, and a new home built on the land.
Human Services Minister Nat Cook said the disabled man who lived in the house was relocated to another property.
“I understand over the course of this year there have been a number of people visit the tenant … (They) will be going to a new home and I understand that property has been identified for redevelopment,” Cook said.
At another public housing residence in Paralowie, neighbours said when the tenants moved, they left rubbish, toys and several pet cats unattended outside the home.
“It’s a bit disgusting. I’ve never seen anyone do that,” neighbour Tamara Lobert said.
The Paralowie property has been left vacant for four months, and while neighbours said they contacted housing provider the SA Housing Authority with their concerns, Cook said there was no evidence it was notified.
The Liberal opposition said it was only when it raised the alarm and organised a media conference at the house that the government sent maintenance workers to address the issues.
“I can’t understand why it hasn’t happened for these months. We’re in the middle of a very clear housing crisis,” opposition housing spokesperson Michelle Lensink said.
“You shouldn’t be relying on members of the public to alert the Liberal opposition to alert the government that these properties are being left like this.”
Cook said the government was working on identifying other vacant homes and ensuring they were kept to a standard the surrounding community expected.
“I understand that vacant homes is not what people expect when providing accommodation and safety for people in our community and we are working really hard to ensure we improve what we are offering.
“In the last couple of weeks, we have had additional staff put on in order to be able to respond to vacancy turnover,” she said.
*Last name withheld for privacy
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