Community housing has a proven track record in providing good quality housing for households across NSW. The housing services available tend to fall into three categories:
- General housing
- Crisis and emergency accommodation
- Services for renting privately.
General Housing Services
Community housing is good quality, secure, affordable housing for households who are eligible for public housing. This means that that anyone applying for community housing should meet the income criteria and have a housing need. Quite often, households applying for community housing also have other needs that gives them a housing priority.
Crisis and other Emergency Accommodation
In addition to general housing, the Community Housing Division also funds housing for people who are homeless, at risk of becoming homeless and who are in crisis. These can be short-term crisis housing for people who are in immediate crisis or are at great risk of becoming homeless. This may be because of domestic violence, abuse, mental health illnesses or other reasons.
The Community Housing Division also funds other, medium term transitional housing. This housing is for people who have been in crisis and are ready to move on to more stable accommodation.
If you are in crisis, or know someone who is in crisis and would like some help, please contact your nearest Housing NSW Office. Alternatively, you can contact:
The Youth Accommodation Assistance (Young people in crisis) http://www.yaa.com.au/,
The Women’s Refuge Resource Centre (Domestic Violence) http://www.wrrc.org.au/,
Homelessness in NSW (more general homelessness advice) http://www.homelessnessnsw.org.au/
Services for Renting Privately
For a lot of people, public and community housing is unnecessary, in the wrong place or an option not available. For these households, renting privately is a suitable housing choice. However, renting privately, particularly for the first time, can be difficult. To help households who wish to rent privately, the Community Housing Division funds some very useful services.
Rentstart
Rentstart assists people to rent privately, by giving them some financial assistance at the start of their tenancy. To be eligible for Rentstart you have to be eligible for public housing.
Rentstart is administered by Housing NSW. For more information about how to apply and eligibility please contact your local housing office.
Tenancy Guarantees
The Tenancy Guarantee is a product developed by the Community Housing Division. It is designed to encourage private sector landlords and estate agents to grant tenancies to people who might otherwise be denied access to the private rental market.
A Tenancy Guarantee provides up to $1,000 (including GST) compensation to landlords/agents over and above the rental bond, for rent arrears and property damage, subject to certain conditions.
A Tenancy Guarantee can help overcome barriers to accessing the private rental market resulting from lack of a tenancy history (e.g. young people, DV victims, new migrants, refugees), a poor tenancy history, or discrimination because of age, race, sexuality, disability, gender or family composition (single parents or large families).
Tenancy Guarantees are currently issued by nine Community Housing Associations. These are:
Wentworth Area Community Housing
Operating in Penrith, St Marys, Blue Mountains and the Hawkesbury.
Hume Community Housing
Operating in Fairfield, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Picton and Camden
Sapphire Coast Community Tenancy Scheme
Operating in Bega, Eden, Merimbula.
Community Housing Limited
Operates nationally
Southern Cross Community Housing
Operating in Nowra, Shoalhaven and St George’s Basin
The Housing Trust, Illawarra
Wollongong
Compass Housing Services
Operates in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Gosford, Wyong, Maitland, Port Stephens, Cessnock, Singleton, Scone, Muswellbrook and Broken Hill
Anglicare North Coast
Operating in Maclean and Grafton.
North Coast Community Housing
Operates in Lismore, Grafton, Tweed Heads
Homes Out West
Operating in Albury and Deniliquin
Private Rental Brokerage Service project officers can also issue Tenancy Guarantees to their clients.
Target Clients
Tenancy Guarantees are available to people who:
- meet Department of Housing income eligibility requirements;
- are seeking and have been denied access to the private rental market;
- have been assessed as having the ability to sustain a private sector tenancy;
- do not have a debt from a previous Tenancy Guarantee;
- accept liability for payment of any claim arising from their Tenancy Guarantee.
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