Health issues & Housing Fight

Hey @Chuckles

I am so incredibly sorry you're going through this. It is profoundly unfair to be forced to defend your housing at the same time you are navigating a serious medical diagnosis. When you've spent years being your own advocate, reaching that wall of exhaustion is not a failure on your part; it is a sign that you have been carrying too much for one person 💚

Since you are dealing with the Civil and Administrative Tribunal and Housing, I wanted to share some things that might help take some of the weight off your shoulders. I also recommend looking into Legal Aid.

If you haven't done so already, I highly recommend looking into Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services. They are separate from Housing and can often provide a formal advocate to speak on your behalf or help prepare your evidence so you don't have to do the heavy lifting alone.

I would ensure your specialists provide a letter specifically for the Tribunal that outlines how the stress of a potential eviction or relocation poses a direct risk to your current health. These tribunals do have the discretion to consider hardships.

If you truly have no fight left right now, you could request an adjournment (delay) based on medical grounds. This can give you some breathing room to focus on your health without the immediate pressure of a hearing.

If you have a specialist or GP you trust, ask them for a referral to a social worker who specialises in chronic health or housing. They can sometimes act as a buffer between you and the bureaucracy.

Please be gentle with yourself. You have been advocating for such a long time, and it is okay to lean on external support right now. You shouldn't have to be 'strong' while your health is at such high risk 💚

I submitted 3 adjustments with a CT Angiogram Report that documents a 75% narrowing among other vascular issues and I’m seeing my Cardiologist on Monday.

The NCAT hearing was March 26 which was also the same day as my Neurologist appointment.

I have been at home for the past 8 months while fighting the dental system (health minister was engaged) between August to December then I was fighting infections which I was hospitalised in January and now this.

I have escalated to the Premier, Health and Mental Health and Housing Ministries.

What has been my greatest disadvantage is my Disability is not visible and I strongly believe they don’t believe I have a disability.

@Chuckles

It is beyond frustrating to hear that they scheduled your hearing for the same day as your Neurologist appointment. That is a clear failure to provide a reasonable adjustment for someone managing a serious medical crisis. When your disability is 'invisible,' it feels like you are being forced to perform your trauma and pain just to be seen as a human being worthy of stable housing (this is coming from someone with hidden disabilities) 💚

You have already done such an incredible amount of heavy lifting; escalating to the Premier and several Ministries is no small feat, especially while recovering from hospitalisations and trying to fight for yourself against these systems. It is so exhausting having to be your own professional advocate just to survive.

Since you are seeing your Cardiologist on Monday, there are a few things that you might consider.

Ask your Cardiologist to write a very blunt "fitness to participate" letter stating that, due to the 75% carotid narrowing and the risk of stroke or vascular event, you are medically unfit to participate in high-stress legal proceedings without significant support or further adjournments.

Sometimes, asking the doctor to explicitly state "While this patient's condition is not visible to the naked eye, the internal vascular risk is critical,' can help push back against the scepticism you're facing from Housing.

Since your hearing was on the 26th of March, and clashed with your Neurology appointment, you may be able to apply to 'set aside' any orders made in your absence, as you had a legitimate medical conflict.

Since you have already reached out to the Ministries, the next step, if you feel you are being discriminated against due to your disability, is to contact your state Ombudsman or the Anti-discrimination board. They deal specifically with cases where government agencies fail to recognise or accommodate disabilities.

You shouldn't have to fight this hard while your health is at such high risk. Please try to take this weekend to rest as much as possible before your Monday appointment. You've been a warrior for months, and it’s okay to feel like the tank is empty 💚

@Chuckles

I am truly glad you found the courage to post about this. Please don't be so hard on yourself for the self-doubt; after 10 years of therapy, you likely know that imposter syndrome or self-doubt is a very natural response to being gaslit by a system that refuses to see your invisible disability. The fact that you have posted anyway shows how much resilience you still have.

With the 4th of May date looming, focusing on that legal advocate is the best move you can make.

Since the order begins on the 4th of May, your advocate will likely look into an 'Application to Stay' the orders. This is specifically to stop the clock while your appeal is considered.

Your Psychologist’s letter is gold. If Housing is trying to move you somewhere that doesn't meet your medical needs (e.g., somewhere that increases your agoraphobia or is too far from your specialists), that is a breach of their duty of care.

You mentioned getting the information they are holding. If they are being difficult, your advocate can help with a GIPA request (Government Information Public Access) to see exactly what notes they’ve been making about your case.

Since you’re seeing the Cardiologist on Monday, try to get them to explicitly support the Psychologist’s view. If you have both a mental health expert and a heart specialist saying, 'moving this person right now is dangerous,' it becomes very hard for the tribunal to ignore.

Take a deep breath. You’ve successfully escalated this to the highest levels already. You aren't 'failing' at advocating; you are just at a point where you need a legal professional to take the shield for a while so you can focus on your health 💚

@Chuckles

You hit on such a painful truth. It is devastating that it often takes a public, high-profile tragedy for the 'powers that be' to suddenly find their empathy for PTSD and Complex PTSD 💚

Being told 'no' by the very frameworks designed for inclusion, the federal and state laws that are literally there to protect you, is a massive systemic failure. It’s not that you aren't 'eligible'; it’s that the system is currently failing to bridge the gap between its policy and its practice.

It is exhausting to be the person forced to point out those gaps while you are also trying to stay medically stable. You are essentially doing the work of a policy advisor and a legal advocate while your body is under immense physical stress.

When you see the Cardiologist, it might be worth mentioning how this 'fight' with Housing and the 'knock-backs' from the Inclusion Plan are physically affecting your symptoms. Stress is a major factor in vascular health, and having a doctor document that this legal battle is a direct threat to your recovery is vital.

If your advocate can show that Housing ignored the Disability Inclusion Plan frameworks you presented, that could be a strong point in an appeal. It shows they acted 'unreasonably' by ignoring their own departmental guidelines.

After the week you've had, and the weight of these realisations, I hope you can find even a small pocket of peace today. The 'doubt' you mentioned before is just a byproduct of fighting a system that isn't listening; it doesn't mean you're wrong at all! 💚