Lee
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
Lee lives in a regional town. He acquired a physical disability in a work accident. As his health deteriorated, he lost his job and became homeless.
‘I found myself living in a tent,’ Lee told the Royal Commission.
Lee gets a Disability Support Pension, but couldn’t find affordable accommodation in his town. He shared his tent with his two dogs. When he applied for government housing, he was told he’d have a better chance if he ‘put one of [his] dogs down’.
‘I had very little choice if I needed accommodation, so I had to choose which dog to put down, so I chose the oldest. Even now this still leaves me so sad and depressed.’
The government put Lee on a waiting list for public housing.
‘I was becoming so desperate, as living in a tent was having an adverse effect on my physical and mental health.’
One day, frustrated with the delay, he phoned a senior government official. Within an hour he was offered a home in a smaller town more than two hours’ drive away.
When he arrived, Lee discovered the house had been occupied by squatters and hadn’t been cleaned.
‘There was also dog shit on the floor. When I showed the housing officer for the area she said, “That’s okay, it is all dry now,” and rubbed it in with her foot.’
The officer gave Lee a week rent-free to clean the property.
‘It took three weeks just to clean the kitchen.’
Lee said he had only agreed to move away from his home town after being ‘clearly informed’ he’d have access to the medical services he needed.
But he discovered that the doctors in the new town didn’t bulk-bill. To access affordable allied health services, he had to drive back to his old town.
‘I was unable to drive this far due to my physical disability and could not afford the cost of fuel.’
Lee said that when a housing officer returned to inspect the house, he felt ‘intimidated’ and became scared to complain about the lack of maintenance, including blocked drains.
The uninsulated house was hot in summer.
‘I have had several fainting episodes and once knocked myself out.’
Lee asked for help to buy and install an air conditioner. ‘I was happy to pay for [it] in a payment plan, but this was denied.’
Lee applied to move to another house, but the housing department told him he’d have to wait because he already had accommodation. This left him ‘very depressed’.
‘I have worked all my life and contributed to society, but due to unforeseen circumstance my health deteriorated and I had to rely on the government. This was a blow to my pride, and the very people who are meant to help you, treat you with contempt.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.