She came to live at the small, well-kept home after she spent time in a women’s refuge a few years ago, after escaping an abusive relationship.
asserted
she → come → relationship
Her home is airy and neat, and she is glowing about the local community.
asserted
she → glow → community
“It’s nice.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
We have a WhatsApp group … if someone’s parcel gets delivered to the wrong house, you can pop it in there and ask ‘is this yours’?,” she says.
asserted
she → have → it
“Another time, a neighbour’s dog passed away, so we all had a barbecue down by the river to celebrate their life.
asserted
we → pass → life
But, she says, her quiet pocket of Cloverdale was upended a few years ago when she got a new neighbour in the public housing block next to hers.
asserted
she → say → hers
“It just changed the whole atmosphere of the street,” she says.
asserted
she → change → street
Megan said the problems started almost immediately.
asserted
problems → say → ?
Rubbish bins on the street would frequently overflow, and sheets were strung up in the front yard’s carport.
asserted
sheets → overflow → carport
Strange men would come to the address at all hours of the day - occasionally knocking on her front door after mixing up the address.
asserted
men → come → address
Cars were parked out the front of the home with missing licence plates and paint stripped off, and people started doing drugs openly on the street.
asserted
people → park → street
Over time, Megan’s neighbours say they have reported the tenants for dealing drugs, breaking in to neighbour’s cars and homes, and even for abusing their own children.
asserted
they → say → children
Often, those reports had to be directed to WA police.
asserted
reports → have → police
“[There’s a] little girl there who has some fair developmental problems,” Megan says.
asserted
Megan → ’ → problems
“The abuse [the tenant] is inflicting on her has had me in tears.”
asserted
tenant → inflict → tears
She even recalls a time she was standing in her own backyard when a woman at the property thought she overheard Megan gossiping.
asserted
Megan → recall → property
She attempted to climb the fence, telling Megan she would kill her, causing her to phone the police.
asserted
her → attempt → police
Unfortunately for Brent*, a next door neighbour of Megan’s, he has also had to call the authorities when dealing with the tenants.
asserted
he → have → tenants
“It’s deteriorated so badly,” he said.
asserted
he → deteriorate → ?
“There are people moving in and out, and we don’t even know who they are …
asserted
they → be → ?
you’ve got four kids living in a two-bedroom house, and they’ve got people coming and going and staying at night.
asserted
people → get → night
“It’s not healthy.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
“I’ve got a baby who is two years old.
asserted
who → get → baby
I don’t want them seeing this.”
asserted
them → want → this
Brent says he has phoned the Department of Housing’s disruptive behaviour team about “four or five” times over the years but says he feels he has effectively been discouraged from making an official complaint.
asserted
he → say → complaint
He says he was often told to direct his frustrations to police.
asserted
he → say → police
they demotivate you in any possible way from even talking to them,” Brent says.
asserted
Brent → demotivate → them
He says in his view, the police and the department rarely communicate and as a result, problem tenants are hide to identify.
asserted
tenants → say → result
It is an experience shared by Megan, who says she has made similar complaints to the Department of Housing over the years.
asserted
she → share → years
“I’ve given up a little bit,” she says.
asserted
she → give → ?
“I just try to make peace.
asserted
I → try → peace
I’ve also got a disability, so the stress of it all is just - to me - too much.”
asserted
stress → get → me
Instead, she has installed security cameras all around her property and when it becomes too bad, she goes away to stay with a friend.
asserted
she → instal → friend
She says ultimately, she is concerned other public housing tenants like her are missing out on homes in favour of people like her neighbour.
asserted
tenants → say → neighbour
If she could have had one of these homes, and she would have cherished it,” Megan says.
uncertain
Megan → have → it
Brent agrees.
asserted
Brent → agree → ?
“My old next door neighbour … she is a pensioner and her ceiling collapsed.
asserted
ceiling → collapse → ?
She has had to move out,” he says.
asserted
he → have → ?
“The [house she is now renting], the rent is so high she can’t even afford to actually feed herself, let alone all the bills and everything.
asserted
she → rent → herself
“Some of the neighbours were actually supporting her with a bit of groceries … but she deserves a house.”
asserted
she → support → house
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
