Dave's story

Dave is from Wollongong but has lived in the Inner West of Sydney since the late 1980s. He’s a nurse at the Royal Prince Albert Hospital in Camperdown and has lived near his workplace since he first moved to the big city.

In his twenties, Dave became a homeowner, a husband, and a father. Years later, when his relationship came to an end, so did his housing stability. During the divorce, Dave’s family home was sold, and the security and reliability in his life were replaced by the challenges of being a single father of two and a renter.

Since the divorce, Dave and his kids have been forced to move many times—never by choice. Two of his most recent leases ended with a no-grounds termination. First, in 2022, he was in Stanmore, in a home ridden with mould that appeared in the wet winter months. Dave repeatedly asked for repairs, but no one came to address the issue until the end of November. 

Eventually painters and mould remover professionals came out. But then, the next day, I got my eviction notice. I really got the impression it was because I’d raised the issue.

Dave and his 20-year-old son were given 30 days' notice and forced to vacate their rental a week before Christmas.

That was traumatic, the timing of the move but also the lead-up.

A little over a year after that stressful ordeal, Dave is once again looking for a new rental. In early February 2024, he received another no grounds eviction, this time from a place in Enmore. Despite being given 8 weeks to find a new place to live, he’s worried about his prospects. 

I am so freaked out I’ve taken leave from my work at RPA. I’m using my annual leave. I’ve taken time and honestly am thinking of moving interstate. I’m thinking of moving to Tasmania because the situation here is so dire.