Our Homeless Persons’ Legal Service (HPLS) provides free legal assistance to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness at drop-in clinics across Sydney (see our clinic times and locations).
Our Women’s Homelessness Prevention Service provides free legal advice and other specialist support services for women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
How to get help
- Come to one of our drop-in clinics, or
- Fill out our online application, or
- Call our office on (02) 8898 6545.
Who we help
- People who sleep rough (for example, on the street or in a car).
- People who live temporarily with friends or family because of homelessness (eg ‘couch surfing’).
- People living in boarding houses, hostels or hotels.
- People in social housing or private rental accommodation at risk of losing their home and becoming homeless.
What we can help with
- Money problems: credit card debts, fines, difficulty paying loans, debt collectors, helping to sort out bills with private companies
- Consumer or contract issues: unfair contracts, insurance, door to door sales, scams, funeral policies, superannuation
- Centrelink: pensions and payments, debts, fraud prosecutions
- Housing: eviction, repairs, rent or issues with Housing NSW/community housing, private or public housing bans from previous tenancy problems, debts that prevent getting into public housing
- Violence: victim of violence, apprehended violence orders (AVOs), victim’s compensation
- Criminal matters: charges by police, court attendance notices, bail, seeking changes to a court order, such as bail or parole conditions
- Discrimination or harassment: employment, education, provisions of goods and services, housing
- Complaints about government authorities: police, schools, government departments
- Employment: loss of employment, entitlements, bullying and harassment
- Other: guardianship and financial management orders
What we can’t help with
- Family law: divorce, child support, child protection, FACS matters
- Immigration: visa issues, refugee applications
- Property: disputes about property
- Personal injury: compensation for injuries through accidents
- Wills: drafting wills
If you need help for a legal problem we can’t help with, we recommend contacting Law Access on 1300 888 529 or your local community legal service (find your local CLC).