Andrea Woodley, a domestic violence survivor and First Nations woman, has been in and out of hospital for weeks with sepsis caused by infected blisters on her feet from sleeping rough in inner-city Perth. Despite doctors warning she could die without safe housing, she was discharged to sleep on the streets.
Mother's Plea for Safe Housing
Woodley's mother, Heather Taylor, who lives 2,000km away in Derby, Western Australia, said doctors told her the sepsis had spread to her daughter's heart and lungs and could be fatal without proper treatment and housing. Taylor fears her daughter cannot manage her antibiotics or attend outpatient care while homeless.
"The doctor called me and said that Andrea had bacterial pneumonia, and the bacteria had gone to her heart," Taylor said. "I said, 'Oh my God.' And she had septicemia."
History of Violence and Homelessness
Woodley has been sleeping rough since 2023 after her Broome home was firebombed by a violent stalker. She left the Kimberley due to safety fears. She is the mother of five children and has suffered trauma and violence on the streets.
"She can't walk on her feet. She's more at risk of being attacked," Taylor said. "She sleeps where there are cameras, bright lights in the city. I'm really frightened something's gonna happen to her."
Advocates Condemn Housing Wait
Lawyer and housing advocate Dr. Betsy Buchanan from Daydawn has written to the WA housing department and the housing minister. She said Woodley was told she would still face a two-year wait despite strong medical letters.
"They've just got a stock answer that 'everyone on the priority list is the same,' and they don't make any exception to the fact that a First Nation person might be dying," Buchanan said.
Government Response
A spokesperson for the WA Department of Housing and Works said priority waiting lists are long and it is difficult to determine when a suitable property will become available. They said Woodley was a public housing tenant from 2008 to 2023 and was approved for a transfer to Perth in November 2023, but this does not guarantee a property.
"All applicants on the priority waiting list have demonstrated an urgent need for housing," the spokesperson said. "The department is committed to working with Ms. Woodley."
Mother's Hope for a Room of Her Own
Taylor said access to a safe home could save her daughter's life. "She just says 'all I want is a room of my own, with my little TV,'" Taylor said. "I know that she will get better if she was to have that."
