Fire-displaced family placed in hotel with no lock on door, son with autism at
A mother and three children were placed in emergency accommodation with no door locks after losing their home to fire.
Jasmine Merletto and her three children, aged 4, 2, and 11 months, lost their Towradgi home to fire on September 20. The blaze spread from the neighbouring property.
Thieves stole what the fire did not destroy. The family had been living in a house provided by Southern Youth and Family Services (SYFS) for under-25 single mothers.
At age 24, Ms Merletto alleges the service told her it could no longer support her. Homes NSW then placed them in a hotel room after two nights with relatives.
The room had no lock on the door. Ms Merletto's young son has autism and repeatedly let himself out unsupervised, putting him at serious risk.
She was also given the same PIN code as her neighbour. After five days, she was moved to Windang Caravan Park, but only until October 7.
Ms Merletto said she had been promised support until she found permanent housing. SYFS said it offered vouchers and written letters to help her access Centrelink payments and childcare assistance.
- 4, 2, and 11 months
- Children's ages
- September 20
- Fire date
- 5 days
- Days in unsafe hotel
- October 7
- Caravan park cutoff
Why it mattersEmergency housing placement without basic safety features like door locks puts vulnerable children at immediate physical risk and raises questions about how agencies assess temporary accommodation.
AustraliaThis case exposes gaps in how NSW emergency housing supports fire-affected families and the risks when youth support services withdraw assistance from young carers at critical moments.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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