Narrm / Melbourne (Australia): Attempt to evict homeless family successfully resisted

August 2nd, 2016: For the second time in as many days victoria police have attempted to illegally enter the home of a formally homeless family now residing in one of over a dozen formally empty state government owned houses acquired for the East-West link.

Twice police arrived unannounced at the home, applying physical force to the door, drilling the door lock and threatening to release “dogs and gas” into the family’s home. Neighbors, passers by and supporters surrounded police, forcing them to back down.

Police, security and the managing real estate agent then met in a neighboring house before police left the area. The Andrews government have hired private security to occupy the neighboring apartments and houses in the area to spy on residents. Security have threatened and assaulted residents several times.

The incidents have all been captured on film and document the shocking way the Andrews labor government is treating homeless people amidst Melbourne’s housing and homelessness crisis in which 25,000 are homeless despite over 1,000 state government owned houses lying empty (including 300+ empty east-west link dwellings) and 80,000 private dwellings empty.

Daniel Andrews and Martin Foley are bullying homeless families onto the streets and out in the cold. The Andrews state government, security companies and real estate agents Noble Knight and Compton Green, seem to care more about profiting from these properties than they do about fullfilling their obligation to ensure all victorians have safe, secure, long term housing.

Contact Compton Green and the minister for housing Martin Foley to let them know that what they’re doing is not okay.

[Posted on August 6, 2016 by .]