Street Law is a free outreach legal service for people experiencing homelessness and those at risk of experiencing homelessness in Western Australia.
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Crackdowns on homelessness in Queensland![]()
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Over the past year, councils across south-east Queensland have shifted away from compassionate responses to a more punitive approach, moving people experiencing homelessness out of public spaces.![]()
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But there’s a critical gap:![]()
Councils don’t actually have the legal power to issue enforceable move-on orders, that power sits with police, who have reportedly not been using it. And yet, people are still being moved on![]()
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A recent ABC investigation found councils are relying on:![]()
👉 Verbal directions and “oral compliance”![]()
👉Claims that people “consented” to leave![]()
👉Treating belongings left behind as “abandoned” and destroying them![]()
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In a Supreme Court case, this so-called consent was found not to be freely given, and the destruction of property was ruled unlawful.![]()
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The court also highlighted a deeper issue: many people were moved on without being offered real housing, leaving them with nowhere else to go.![]()
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These developments raise broader questions about how laws are used to manage homelessness.![]()
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📖 Read the full ABC investigation: www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-23/how-councils-coerce-homeless-people-into-eviction/106451918![]()
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These developments reflect a broader pattern. Our recent newsletter explores how state government laws and policies can criminalise survival and further punish people living in disadvantage.![]()
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*This post provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. It may not apply to your situation. For legal advice, contact Street Law Centre WA directly*
We will be closed from close of business today until Tuesday the 7 of April 2026 for the long weekend break. Our legal clinic at Tranby will not be running on 3 April 2026.![]()
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Our team wishes you a happy and safe long weekend break.
🏠 Passages Youth Engagement Hub: A safe place in a housing crisis![]()
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The ABC recently highlighted the incredible work at Passages (Vinnies WA), where young people experiencing homelessness in Perth and Mandurah can access essential support such as food, showers and a safe place to be themselves. With WA’s ongoing housing crisis, demand at hubs like Passages has never been higher. Last year, around 750 young people accessed the Perth and Mandurah hubs, many for the first time.![]()
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At Street Law, part of our service delivery model is bringing our free legal services directly to these spaces. We are at Passages weekly between 10am to 12pm, providing our free legal services to the young ones that are at Passages. ![]()
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Staff at Passages often face heartbreaking situations, providing essentials like tents or sleeping bags when accommodation is unavailable. Many young people arrive in crisis, dealing with mental health challenges, abuse or assault, and struggle to find stability.![]()
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Services like Passages give young people somewhere to feel safe and human, even when longer-term housing options are limited. Researchers and staff alike are calling on government to fund more low-barrier services to meet the growing need.![]()
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📖 Read the full ABC article on the growing demand at Passages: www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-23/youth-homelessness-hubs-struggle-in-western-australia/106470740![]()
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*This post provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. It may not apply to your situation. For legal advice, contact Street Law Centre WA directly*
💥 Street Doctor + Street Law = FREE Health & Legal Support!![]()
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We work alongside Street Doctor to bring the Bassendean community free health and legal services—all in one place.![]()
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🗓️ Every Friday![]()
🗺️ Swan Districts Football Club, Bassendean![]()
🕧 11:00am – 12:30pm![]()
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Our fantastic admin and triage officer, Declan, will be there to welcome you, answer questions, and connect you with one of our solicitors for legal support. Whether you need advice on driver’s license issues, infringements, or other legal issues, Declan will make sure you’re connected quickly and easily.![]()
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No appointments needed—just drop by, say hi, and get the help you need.![]()
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✨ Health care, legal support, and a friendly face, all under one roof!![]()
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*This post provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. It may not apply to your situation. For legal advice, contact Street Law Centre WA directly*
🚨 When survival is a crime: How WA’s systems punish those experiencing homelessness. ![]()
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Our latest newsletter takes a look at how laws and policies across housing, policing, social security, identification, and criminal law in Western Australia effectively punish people experiencing homelessness and create further barriers and isolation.![]()
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Examples include:![]()
➡️ Bail conditions banning people from areas like Northbridge and the Perth CBD—where many homelessness support services are located.![]()
➡️ Trespass laws that make homelessness a legal contradiction: public space is policed, private space is inaccessible—so where can someone safely exist?![]()
➡️ Photo ID requirements to access housing, despite ID being easily lost or stolen![]()
➡️ Around McIver train station, fences, large rocks, and even high-pitched noise used to prevent temporary camps—displacing people rather than supporting them![]()
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Taken together, these laws and policies send a clear message: homelessness is not treated as a failure of systems, but as a behaviour to be managed, controlled, and punished.![]()
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📬 Read the full article (pages 8–10) in our newsletter to explore these issues in detail: streetlawcentre.org.au/street-news-inside-street-law-january-2026/ ![]()
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*This post provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. It may not apply to your situation. For legal advice, contact Street Law Centre WA directly*
