Case 87: Preventing a young man’s eviction into homelessness

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Abdi Mohamed, a 21 year-old man living in accommodation provided by a transitional housing provider was given a 120 day notice to vacate in accordance with the provider’s ‘youth tenancy policy’. Mr Mohamed would not have been able to afford private housing on his Newstart allowance and would be evicted into homelessness. He challenged the eviction. The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal decided that the transitional housing provider was a public authority and was required to comply with the Charter. The Tribunal decided that the implementation of the youth tenancy policy in this case was arbitrary and breached of Mr Mohamed’s right not to have his privacy or home arbitrarily interfered with. The Tribunal’s decision prevented the eviction.

Source: Homeground Services v Mohamed (Residential Tenancies) [2009] VCAT 1131. See our case summary here: https://www.hrlc.org.au/human-rights-case-summaries/homeground-services-v-mohamed-residential-tenancies-2009-vcat-1131-6-july-2009