Katherine News
Time To Show Compassion
The Henderson Government must make immediate changes to Territory Housing rental agreements to ensure family members aren't evicted from public housing after bereavement.
Deputy Opposition Leader Kezia Purick said the inexcusable eviction of 14-year-old Rachael Pazos on Wednesday from her Narrows flat after the death of her father should be the catalyst for a comprehensive review of Territory Housing practices after bereavement.
Since Wednesday, another public housing resident has told of a similar attempt to evict a child post-bereavement in Katherine and another man says he'd been told by Territory Housing officers that his daughter will be evicted within four days of his death.
'Clearly, there are major problems with Territory Housing's approach to family death in public tenancy,' Ms Purick said.
'The Government should develop a policy based around compassion and common sense when dealing with family death in public housing rather than the cold and heartless approach that's currently used.
'The new policy might also need to be developed on an inter-agency basis involving officers from Families and Children's Services and other areas of Government to ensure proper co-ordination of arrangements after the death of a family member.
'It's of particular concern to me that it appears there's an actual policy within Territory Housing to evict tenants whose names aren't on public housing leases after a death.
'This half-baked, heartless approach completely ignores the needs of family members – in this week's case a 14-year-old girl.
'Instead of adding to the grief after a death, Territory Housing should develop a compassionate policy with a basis in common-sense.'
2009-09-04
