Street Law Centre WA Inc

Street Law Centre WA Inc We provide free legal advice & legal assistance to people experiencing homelessness in WA.

Our vision at Street Law Centre WA Inc (‘Street Law’) is to close the gap in the provision of legal services to persons who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Western Australia. We aim to do this by operating a holistic, free legal service and to address the underlying causes of homelessness through law reform and community education. Street Law is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Offic

e as an income tax exempt charitable institution and as a deductible gift recipient. We welcome contributions from the community through our Give Now page: https://www.givenow.com.au/streetlawcentrewa

More than 40 people have been identified as experiencing homelessness in Margaret River, including a 75 year old and fam...
23/04/2026

More than 40 people have been identified as experiencing homelessness in Margaret River, including a 75 year old and families with children.

Many are living in cars, vans, or without stable accommodation.

In a town known for its tourism and significant number of short stay properties, these findings highlight a deeper issue of high rental prices, housing insecurity and limited access to long term housing.

These results will help advocate for more support, services, and housing solutions in the region.

Homelessness can affect anyone, at any age and in any community.

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-13/survey-reveals-spread-homelessness-margaret-river/106544018

*This post provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. It may not apply to your situation. For legal advice, contact Street Law Centre WA directly*

A Perth mother of two is left homeless, after her family’s accommodation was demolished with nowhere else for them to go...
22/04/2026

A Perth mother of two is left homeless, after her family’s accommodation was demolished with nowhere else for them to go.

For almost two years, she and her children were living in a small granny flat in Mariginiup, without basic amenities such as gas or hot water, sharing one bedroom while trying to maintain stability.

She has already faced the reality of living on the streets after escaping domestic violence four years ago.

With no alternative housing available, the family has now been forced into primary homelessness, despite being on the public housing priority list since 2024.

Emergency housing has been reported as full, with support services only able to offer very short term hotel stays.

“I’m very scared. I’m very worried about the safety for my children,” she said.

This is another confronting example of the impact of WA’s housing crisis, and the urgent need for safe, stable housing for families.

No one should be left without a home.

Source: https://7news.com.au/news/perth-mother-of-two-faces-homelessness-as-accommodation-demolished-leaving-them-nowhere-to-go-c-21911650

*This post provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. It may not apply to your situation. For legal advice, contact Street Law Centre WA directly*

Shoutout to Jess 🩵Over the past 3 months, Jess from Mallesons was seconded to Street Law. Working closely with our Soli...
21/04/2026

Shoutout to Jess 🩵

Over the past 3 months, Jess from Mallesons was seconded to Street Law.

Working closely with our Solicitor, Luella, Jess attended our weekly legal clinic at Vinnies WA’s Passages Youth Engagement Hub, supporting young people under 25 who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Through this work, Jess assisted on a range of legal matters connected to the young people we meet at Passages each week ⚖️

Jess quickly became a valued member of the team. Her thoughtful approach, efficiency, and willingness to step in wherever needed made a real difference to both our work and the young people we support. During her time with us, Jess also gained insight into the legal and social challenges connected to homelessness, and the role legal support can play in creating meaningful change.

Here’s what Jess had to say about her time at Street Law
“I really enjoyed being able to attend Passages. I found it very rewarding and loved being able to see clients return each week and continue progressing their matters every week.”

We’re incredibly grateful to Mallesons for their ongoing support of our secondee program. Partnerships like this strengthen our ability to continue advocating for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness through our work in social justice 🤝

*This post provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. It may not apply to your situation. For legal advice, contact Street Law Centre WA directly*

Last week was Youth Week, and this year’s theme was “Strength in Our Stories.”Every young person’s journey is unique. Th...
20/04/2026

Last week was Youth Week, and this year’s theme was “Strength in Our Stories.”

Every young person’s journey is unique. Their experiences, values, and resilience shape not only who they are, but the change they create in our communities. For young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, their stories reflect strength, resilience, and the courage to keep going. Their voices matter.

At Street Law, we’re proud to stand alongside young people through our long-standing partnership with Passages Youth Engagement Hub in Perth, operated by Vinnies WA. Since 2012, this collaboration has supported young people aged 12 to 25 who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness with access to social, welfare, and legal services.

Passages provides more than just a safe space. It offers understanding, practical support, and pathways forward. Every Wednesday from 10am to 12pm, Street Law is there, delivering our free legal services to young people.

Young people are not just our future; they are shaping our present.

*This post provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. It may not apply to your situation. For legal advice, contact Street Law Centre WA directly*

Crackdowns on homelessness in QueenslandOver the past year, councils across south-east Queensland have shifted away from...
03/04/2026

Crackdowns on homelessness in Queensland

Over the past year, councils across south-east Queensland have shifted away from compassionate responses to a more punitive approach, moving people experiencing homelessness out of public spaces.

But there’s a critical gap:
Councils don’t actually have the legal power to issue enforceable move-on orders, that power sits with police, who have reportedly not been using it. And yet, people are still being moved on

A recent ABC investigation found councils are relying on:
👉 Verbal directions and “oral compliance”
👉Claims that people “consented” to leave
👉Treating belongings left behind as “abandoned” and destroying them

In a Supreme Court case, this so-called consent was found not to be freely given, and the destruction of property was ruled unlawful.

The court also highlighted a deeper issue: many people were moved on without being offered real housing, leaving them with nowhere else to go.

These developments raise broader questions about how laws are used to manage homelessness.

📖 Read the full ABC investigation: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-23/how-councils-coerce-homeless-people-into-eviction/106451918

These developments reflect a broader pattern. Our recent newsletter explores how state government laws and policies can criminalise survival and further punish people living in disadvantage.

*This post provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. It may not apply to your situation. For legal advice, contact Street Law Centre WA directly*

We will be closed from close of business today until Tuesday the 7 of April 2026 for the long weekend break. Our legal c...
02/04/2026

We will be closed from close of business today until Tuesday the 7 of April 2026 for the long weekend break. Our legal clinic at Tranby will not be running on 3 April 2026.

Our team wishes you a happy and safe long weekend break.

🏠 Passages Youth Engagement Hub: A safe place in a housing crisisThe ABC recently highlighted the incredible work at Pas...
02/04/2026

🏠 Passages Youth Engagement Hub: A safe place in a housing crisis

The ABC recently highlighted the incredible work at Passages (Vinnies WA), where young people experiencing homelessness in Perth and Mandurah can access essential support such as food, showers and a safe place to be themselves. With WA’s ongoing housing crisis, demand at hubs like Passages has never been higher. Last year, around 750 young people accessed the Perth and Mandurah hubs, many for the first time.

At Street Law, part of our service delivery model is bringing our free legal services directly to these spaces. We are at Passages weekly between 10am to 12pm, providing our free legal services to the young ones that are at Passages.

Staff at Passages often face heartbreaking situations, providing essentials like tents or sleeping bags when accommodation is unavailable. Many young people arrive in crisis, dealing with mental health challenges, abuse or assault, and struggle to find stability.

Services like Passages give young people somewhere to feel safe and human, even when longer-term housing options are limited. Researchers and staff alike are calling on government to fund more low-barrier services to meet the growing need.

📖 Read the full ABC article on the growing demand at Passages: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-23/youth-homelessness-hubs-struggle-in-western-australia/106470740

*This post provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. It may not apply to your situation. For legal advice, contact Street Law Centre WA directly*

💥 Street Doctor + Street Law = FREE Health & Legal Support!We work alongside Street Doctor to bring the Bassendean comm...
01/04/2026

💥 Street Doctor + Street Law = FREE Health & Legal Support!

We work alongside Street Doctor to bring the Bassendean community free health and legal services—all in one place.

🗓️ Every Friday
🗺️ Swan Districts Football Club, Bassendean
🕧 11:00am – 12:30pm

Our fantastic admin and triage officer, Declan, will be there to welcome you, answer questions, and connect you with one of our solicitors for legal support. Whether you need advice on driver’s license issues, infringements, or other legal issues, Declan will make sure you’re connected quickly and easily.

No appointments needed—just drop by, say hi, and get the help you need.

✨ Health care, legal support, and a friendly face, all under one roof!

*This post provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. It may not apply to your situation. For legal advice, contact Street Law Centre WA directly*

🚨 When survival is a crime: How WA’s systems punish those experiencing homelessness. Our latest newsletter takes a look ...
01/04/2026

🚨 When survival is a crime: How WA’s systems punish those experiencing homelessness.

Our latest newsletter takes a look at how laws and policies across housing, policing, social security, identification, and criminal law in Western Australia effectively punish people experiencing homelessness and create further barriers and isolation.

Examples include:
➡️ Bail conditions banning people from areas like Northbridge and the Perth CBD—where many homelessness support services are located.
➡️ Trespass laws that make homelessness a legal contradiction: public space is policed, private space is inaccessible—so where can someone safely exist?
➡️ Photo ID requirements to access housing, despite ID being easily lost or stolen
➡️ Around McIver train station, fences, large rocks, and even high-pitched noise used to prevent temporary camps—displacing people rather than supporting them

Taken together, these laws and policies send a clear message: homelessness is not treated as a failure of systems, but as a behaviour to be managed, controlled, and punished.

📬 Read the full article (pages 8–10) in our newsletter to explore these issues in detail: https://streetlawcentre.org.au/street-news-inside-street-law-january-2026/

*This post provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. It may not apply to your situation. For legal advice, contact Street Law Centre WA directly*

Tuesdays @ Indigo Junction’s Karnany Resources Centre in Midland. Every Tuesday, Lily, one of our solicitors, is at Karn...
31/03/2026

Tuesdays @ Indigo Junction’s Karnany Resources Centre in Midland.

Every Tuesday, Lily, one of our solicitors, is at Karnany providing our free legal services to those experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the Midland area.

We have been working in collaboration with Indigo Junction’s Karnany Centre since 2021. With Street Law providing legal services, the wonderful team at Karnany provide essential social, welfare and health services and support. Together our services are being proactive and collaborative to reduce homelessness in the Midland area.

Pictured here is Lily with Brock and Roimata from Indigo Junction, and Jane from Services Australia, who also provide their services at the centre, at this morning’s Easter breakfast for people accessing the service.

*This post provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. It may not apply to your situation. For legal advice, contact Street Law Centre WA directly*

🌈 Transgender Day of VisibilityToday, we recognise and celebrate the strength, resilience, and diversity of trans and ge...
31/03/2026

🌈 Transgender Day of Visibility

Today, we recognise and celebrate the strength, resilience, and diversity of trans and gender-diverse communities.

At Street Law, we stand in solidarity with our trans clients and reaffirm our commitment to providing inclusive, affirming legal services to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, irrespective of gender identity. We are committed to ensuring our services remain safe, accessible, and inclusive for trans and gender-diverse clients.

We also recognise that trans people, particularly those experiencing homelessness, continue to experience disproportionate barriers to housing, safety, healthcare, and justice.

Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

💬 You can help by respecting names and pronouns, listening to trans voices, and advocating for laws, policies, and services that are inclusive and safe for all.

Trans rights are human rights.

*This post provides general legal information only and is not legal advice. It may not apply to your situation. For legal advice, contact Street Law Centre WA directly*

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