By its own action the State Government was today set to add to the number of homeless, proposing to evict a tenant who had nowhere to live as part of property acquisitions for the South Road upgrade.

A late intervention after InDaily made inquiries, however, has allowed Kahlil Johannessen to remain in the property until Monday and meet with a “social services provider to discuss his options”.

Johannessen, 32, has been living at 36 South Road West Hindmarsh for 11 years.

When his landlord sold the house to the Department of Planning Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) in February, he wasn’t told he would have to move.

He kept paying rent until DPTI wrote to him telling him he had to vacate by 16 April this year.

For most people, finding new digs isn’t difficult.

Kahlil, however, has some issues.

His Croydon Medical Centre doctor says he suffers from anxiety and depression with regular migraine attacks.

“His anxiety stops him leaving the house,” the doctor wrote in a note encouraging the allocation of  Housing Trust accommodation.

“He is on a wait list for counselling.

“He did have a social worker who was seeing him, but he has no other support in place,” the doctor wrote.

“He cannot afford private rental as he is unemployed and has no income other than Centrelink.”

DPTI took Kahlil to the Residential Tenancies Tribunal, seeking and getting an eviction order.

It then wrote to him advising today (August 21) would be the day he would be thrown out.

“We ask that you remove all your personal items and have moved out of the premises prior to 21 August; we will be taking possession of the site on that date,” DPTI’s acting director Property Services, Jock Berry, says in a letter.

“If you choose to leave personal items behind … we will remove items from the premised and keep it safe for 28 days.”

After that period, the letter says, the items will be disposed of.

When InDaily visited Kahlil yesterday he had packed very little.

He had no idea where he would be sleeping tonight, he had no family that could help him and, as his doctor pointed out, he said he had no money to arrange private rental accommodation.

It’s not the first time life has dealt an unsettling blow for the young man.

“Mum died about 17 years ago and we got evicted from our Housing Trust home then,” he recalls.

“We just kind of stayed different places and then eventually I found this place; it’s been good.”

His one bedroom maisonette isn’t flash by any means.

Its location on busy South Road made it cheap enough for him to rent with some rental assistance.

He does have some problems – he’s a collector and hoarder and he finds it difficult to go outside the house.

In the several months he’s been dealing with DPTI, he’s had no social-based assistance – just one offer from the department, which, he says, was a $1000 incentive to “leave straight away”.

Today, they were set to come knocking – and Kahlil Johannessen was to be another statistic in Adelaide’s homeless.

However, after InDaily made inquiries to the department yesterday, Kahlil was given a reprieve.

While a spokesman for the minister said Johannessen had been difficult to deal with, it seems previous communication issues were far easier late yesterday.

DPTI have arranged for him to meet with a social services provider from Wesley Mission on Monday – a meeting he knew nothing of yesterday.

“A period of six months has now transpired since the initial advice to Mr Johannessen  that he would need to vacate the property.,” the State Government spokesperson said.

“DPTI have allowed Mr Johannessen to remain in the property on a rent-free basis for over four months to enable him time to secure alternative accommodation.

“Over this time Mr Johannesen has been unwilling to communicate with DPTI housing officers or accept advice on assistance available to him.

“DPTI and relevant social services providers are meeting with Mr Johannessen next Monday to further discuss options available to him. ”

Kahlil told InDaily this morning he was “very relieved”.

“They rang me after you were here and have said I can stay until Monday,” he said.

“At 11am Monday we’re going to meet with some people from Wesley and someone from the Housing Trust.

“It’s taken a lot of stress off, that’s for sure.”

It’s been a tough run for the western suburbs battler.

DPTI  had arranged with SA Power Networks (SAPN) to disconnect the power at the neighbouring property, 38 South Road, which is now vacant and vandalised – and Kahlil lost his power in the process.

“SAPN accidentally disconnected the power at 36 South Road and once alerted to the mistake, SA Power re-connected his electricity on the same day,” the State Government said.

However, Kahlil says the power was disconnected for an extended period.