Presentation by the Tenants Action Group of WA, Evictions Fallout: The mental health impacts of eviction and the fear of eviction. presented at the Western Australian Mental Health Conference 2019.

1. Tenants Action Group of WA
Tenancy WA
Shelter WA

2. Evictions
Fallout: the
mental health
impacts of
eviction and
the fear of
eviction
Session Structure
Acknowledgment of Country
The problem of eviction (Vachel
Spirason (Tenancy WA)
The fallout and consequences
(Colin Penter TAGWA)
The Solutions (Vachel Spirason
Tenancy WA & Michelle
McKenzie Shelter WA)

3. Session Purpose
• Understand the impact of evictions
upon the mental health of renters and
their families
• Highlight the importance of tenancy
reform and changes in policy and
practice as a way to address the
evictions fallout

4. Evictions in Western Australia
• Definition of Eviction
• S.60 Residential Tenancy Act 1987
• List all grounds…
• The ‘blurry edges’ of eviction
• Hard to get accurate figures across all
three tenure types

5. Evictions in Private Rental Market
• Available stats
• Breakdown of issues
• Case Study

6. Evictions in Public Housing
• Available stats
• Breakdown of issues
• Case Study

7. Evictions in Community Housing
• Available stats
• Breakdown of issues
• Case Study

8. Fallout from Evictions
• Homelessness
• Poverty
• Prolonged stress & insecurity
• Profound psychological distress, and anxiety
• Increased risk of depression
• Increased risk of mental health crisis
• Significantly higher rates of depression 2
years after eviction

9. Fallout from Evictions (continued)
• High incidence of severe post traumatic
stress disorder symptoms
• Increased emergency department use
• Initiation or relapse into harmful drug and
alcohol use
• Elevated suicide risk
• Harm to family and children’s wellbeing and
life chances
• Double stigma

10. What are the Solutions?
• Rental Reform:
• Security of Tenure
• End no cause evictions
• Cultural shift around the norms,
expectations and rights of renters
• Better management of public and
community housing
• Address the drastic demand for public
and community housing
• Control/stabilise rents
• End 3 strikes

11. What are the Solutions?
• Increase tenancy and psycho-social
support to prevent evictions
• Increased income- raise Newstart
and DSP
• Improved system of dispute
resolution
• Housing as a mental health
intervention
• Better engagement between mental
health workers and tenancy/ housing
workers and tenant advocates

12. The Make Renting Fair Alliance
• Lead Organisations
• Supporters so far
• We welcome your organisation’s support
• Website and facebook

13. Beyond Rental Reform
• What other ways might we better address the
intersection of mental health and housing to
the benefit of all people?