Margaret River public housing tenants ‘in limbo’ over WADC’s inaction on eviction

Residents of a notorious WA Government-run public housing block on Station Road say they are fed up about inaction to address their concerns about safety and wellbeing. They spoke up again this week after several months of their landlord, the WA Department of Communities, reassuring the Times all was well at the apartment block dubbed “Vampire Alley” by some. One man, who asked not to be named, said antisocial problems affecting the peaceful majority of residents had gone on for 10 years and it was time for action. Yet a spokesman for the WADC said it continued “to take appropriate action” despite no moves yet to evict one tenant prosecuted in January for growing cannabis inside his public housing unit. “A majority of the neighbours recently contacted have advised the situation at the complex has substantially improved,” WADC acting regional director Brendan Mooney told the Times. “Communities takes its role as a landlord very seriously and responds to all disruptive behaviour complaints. All complaints are investigated and action is taken against disruptive tenancies where appropriate.” But residents rejected that feedback and said the WADC was out of touch with reality and had failed to address their concerns. Similar criticism was aimed at the Margaret River Police. Officer-in-charge Sergeant Simone Taplin said proactive work between police and the WADC, supported by tenants, had seen a drop-off in complaints at the complex. “Margaret River Police have noticed a large improvement in the behaviour at Station Road, not requiring any police intervention in the past two weeks,” Sgt Taplin said. The Station Road resident said it was upsetting for him and neighbours to see no action taken to evict trouble tenants. “I’m sick and tired of this place being called ‘Vampire Alley’,” he said. “It’s been going on for 10 years.” The majority of residents were peaceful and just wanted to enjoy the public housing provided for them to lead stable lives. Mr Mooney said Communities three-strikes disruptive behaviour management policy continued to guide the landlord’s response. “Communities encourages community members to report any disturbances to the Disruptive Behaviour Reporting Line on 1300 597 076,” he said. “When a public housing tenancy receives the maximum number of strikes under the policy, Communities can commence court action to end the tenancy. “Communities considers the substantial drop in the number of strikes between first and third as evidence that the policy has a positive impact on tenant behaviour.” The Times previously reported criminal charges were grounds for eviction under the policy, but Communities declined to provide further detail due to client confidentiality.