The City of Yarra Council is blatantly ignoring its own policies when it comes to the treatment of homeless people, particularly those living in their vehicles. According to the council’s own policy, “It is not illegal to be homeless in Yarra. Yarra City Council has laws against camping on Council land, including parks and gardens, however, this does not affect individuals experiencing homelessness.” Despite this, vulnerable people, many of whom are disabled, queer, and facing other serious challenges, are being relentlessly harassed, criminalised, and punished.

These individuals, who are already struggling to survive, are being threatened with impoundment, fines, and even imprisonment, simply because they have no other place to go. What’s even more distressing is that the council knows their situations through confirming with local homelessness services and care teams. Yet they continue to turn a blind eye to their humanity. Instead of following their own policies to not enforce camping laws on unhoused vulnerable people, the council places abandoned vehicle notices on cars that are clearly not abandoned, causing even more unnecessary stress and hardship.

Instead of helping these vulnerable people, the council is pushing them further into a cycle of fear, humiliation, and despair. This isn’t just a failure of policy, it’s a failure of compassion, and it’s deeply harming real people who are just trying to survive in a city that claims to care.
The ongoing harassment and criminalisation of the homeless are nothing short of corrupt practices that must be stopped. The City of Yarra Council needs to be held accountable for its actions and forced to follow its own policies.