Terminal cancer patient fights to stay in family home
A terminal cancer patient faces losing his rental home. His partner's death halved their household income from disability and Centrelink payments.
Mick Brown stopped chemotherapy for terminal cancer. He wanted to spend his final months in his quiet coastal Tasmania home.
But now he faces losing it. Amanda was his partner and carer.
She died in June. This halved the household income they used for their $400-a-week rent.
Brown's doctor said he has only a few months to live. He cannot afford the rent on his disability pension alone.
Suitable rentals in the area are hard to find. Most alternatives are share houses in distant towns.
These won't accept his cat and dog. His neighbour Naomi Hunter started a GoFundMe to help.
She says vulnerable people on Tasmania's East Coast lack enough housing and support services. Brown says that services and health care in the region don't reach coastal areas.
- 400 dollars
- Weekly rent
- A few months
- Brown's life expectancy
- Partner and carer
- Amanda's role
- Coastal Tasmania
- Brown's location
Why it mattersThe story shows how quickly vulnerable people can face homelessness. This happens when a carer or partner dies. This occurs even with government support.
AustraliaAustralians on disability or aged pensions in rural areas often lack affordable housing options, leaving them exposed when family carers pass away.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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