Summary
Consumer Action Law Centre is an independent advocacy organisation offering community legal and financial counselling to support people facing vulnerability and disadvantage. The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS), an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO), provides culturally safe legal services to Aboriginal communities across Victoria.
This report delves into the experiences of First Nations consumers across Victoria, documenting the work of both organisations in providing crucial civil legal and financial counselling support. By integrating client stories and data, it examines intergenerational financial exclusion, housing challenges, and the need for safer systems. The report calls for urgent reforms to break cycles of disadvantage and achieve culturally safe outcomes for First Nations people.