2026-03-09
Confronting the rental crisis – stalling evictions, public meetings and a renters rights survey to guide remedial action
By Hon Tim Clifford, MLC
Somehow we’re already two months into the new year, and it’s been a whirlwind to say the least! This year so far has been huge on the housing front, with as much going on outside of Parliament as there is inside.
A community housing win
In early January I was really proud to throw my support behind a community-led picket at the Forrestfield home of Nicola Torres, a single mother who was being unfairly evicted by her community housing provider.
Having grown up in public housing with a single mum and three sisters, I could see my own family reflected in Nicola’s situation. It hit really close to home and I got quite emotional as I spoke to the media about what was happening to Nicola and her children. Everyone deserves a safe place to call home – not because they did something special to earn it, but because of the simple fact that they’re human beings.
Amazingly, activists from the Renters and Housing Union managed to keep the eviction from going ahead for the entire week – an incredible win! And I’m happy to report that Nicola and her family are still at home, as the eviction proceedings are currently on hold while they’re being challenged in the Supreme Court.
Politics in the Pub
In February my team and I made a trip down south, where we hosted a housing politics in the pub event in Margaret River. Our regional towns and cities are being absolutely smashed by the housing crisis, and they’re experiencing unique challenges in how to address its impact. So it was great to hear directly from locals both on the panel and in the audience about their biggest concerns, which has really helped to inform my understanding of the housing crisis in the South West.
I’m really grateful to everyone who came along to join the conversation, and big shout-out in particular to our speakers on the night: Julia Jean-Rice from the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River; Alice Marshall from Just Home; Jesse Malseed from Lamp Inc; and lived experience advocate Evan Coumbe.
Renters rights survey
In mid-February my office launched our renters rights survey, which closed at the end of the month. We had an amazing response to it, which lays bare just how diabolical the rental affordability crisis is in Western Australia – and how desperate renters are for relief.
My team and I are now working hard to review all the survey data and crunch the numbers, so stay tuned for the results – I’ll share them with you very soon!
If you’re one of the hundreds of renters who completed the survey, I’d like to take a moment to say thanks. Every single response will play an important part shaping the next phase of our campaign to secure stronger rental protections in WA, and I’m really grateful that you’re a part of it with us.
A return to Parliament
The last week of February marked our return to Parliament for the first time in 2026 – a pretty intense week to say the least!
The Cook Labor Government’s post and boast bill made its return to the Legislative Council, where my Greens (WA) colleagues and I condemned them for failing to heed Parliamentary committee recommendations to remove certain problematic elements of it.
This bill doesn’t make our communities any safer. It will disproportionately impact young people, as well as have a chilling effect on our democratic rights to protest and free speech. It’s incredibly disappointing to see WA Labor go down this path, and I urge them to proceed with caution when the bill next returns to the Parliament.
Vale Charles Pratt
I’d like to finish by acknowledging the life and contribution of Charles Pratt, an incredibly valued Greens member and friend who tragically passed away in February. I’ll forever be grateful to Charles for so many things: his commitment to the party and the Perth RG in particular; his unfailing kindness and generosity; his willingness to go above and beyond; his excellent company across countless doorknocks, phone banks and meetings.
The loss of Charles is still difficult to grasp and the hole he has left is enormous. I miss him, and I will continue to do the work of our movement with the same spirited selflessness he brought to everything he did.
Header photo: Tim speaking to the media at the community picket for Nicola Torres in Forrestfield in January.