Eligible clients who apply for public housing and who have not demonstrated an urgent need for housing, will be placed on the Housing Register in order of registration date. Clients approved for housing assistance under the following policies:
- Priority Housing,
- Housing assistance for elderly clients, and
- Transfer clients on a priority basis,
- Relocating Tenants for Management Purposes (Portfolio Management)
will be housed ahead of other clients on the Housing Register.
To ensure public housing assists those in the greatest need, the eligibility criteria for public housing have changed to concentrate on assisting people on low incomes who need support services to help them live independently; and households on low incomes who have problems finding affordable housing in the private market that is suited to their needs.
This means a move away from using income as the primary eligibility criteria for public housing to also include an assessment of the needs of a person, a couple or a family that may be affecting their capacity to find affordable housing.
When a property becomes available and there are no suitable high-needs clients on the Housing Register, then it will be offered to the next appropriate person on the Housing Register who has been waiting the longest.
Clients on the Housing Register for wait-turn housing must nominate an allocation zone. Clients can change their preferred area at any time, up until they receive their second offer of housing. Housing NSW will provide advice on the estimated waiting time for that area.
Clients who apply for public housing on, or after, 27 April 2005 will be assessed against current eligibility criteria and income limits introduced in July 2006 which include Family Tax Benefit as assessable income.
Households who applied for public housing before the announcement of the Reshaping Public Housing reforms on 27 April 2005, will have their entitlements preserved (‘grandfathered’). This means that they can remain on the housing register as long as they continue to meet the previous income eligibility limits in addition to all other eligibility criteria for public housing.
Clients must continue to meet the eligibility criteria in order to remain on the Housing Register. If they no longer meet the criteria they will be removed from the Housing Register.
For more information on Housing Register assessment rules, income eligibility limits and public housing eligibility criteria refer to the policy Eligibility for Public Housing.
For more information on this policy, look in Entitlement, Background and the Business Rules.
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Entitlement
Housing NSW will ensure that:
- Eligible clients for wait-turn housing are included on the Housing Register and are offered appropriate accommodation in order of registration date
- The client has the opportunity to indicate their interest in accepting accommodation managed by a community housing provider
- The client receives reliable information to assist them to make an informed choice about the preferred area they nominate
- The Client Service Officer will explain how any changes in the client’s needs affect their place on the Housing Register and likely length of lease they will receive when they are housed. For more detail see Types and Lengths of Lease.
- The client understands what information or documentation they need to provide with their application, and
- The client is given clear reasons why they are ineligible and advised of their right to appeal.
Background
By taking a place on the Housing Register, eligible clients have an opportunity to receive public or community managed housing when their turn is reached.
Due to high demand and limited stock, it may take some time for suitable accommodation in the nominated area to become available for a client.
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Business Rules
Housing NSW’s Responsibility
If a client indicates that they may have any changes to their situation, (such as choice of location, household complement, income), the Client Service Officer will advise the client how these changes may affect their
- Eligibility
- Possible wait time and
- The likely length of lease they will receive when they are housed
Housing NSW will maintain an up-to-date Housing Register so accommodation can be allocated efficiently.
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Client’s Responsibility
The client must:
- Reply to Housing NSW’s letters or phone calls (as Housing NSW may remove them from the Housing Register if no response is received).
- Advise and provide proof to Housing NSW of any changes in their situation which may affect their eligibility for public housing, the length of lease they might need, or the type of dwelling they need. Examples include:
- Change in income for any member of the household
- Birth of a child
- A change in the number of people in the household
- Change of name
- Change of address
- Change in ‘preferred area’; and/or
- Factors affecting the type of dwelling and location required, such as a medical condition or disability
- Change in property ownership or assets.
It is always in the client’s best interest to provide accurate and up-to-date information. If it is not provided, then an offer of housing may be unsuitable and further delays may occur while suitable housing is found. Furthermore, in some cases a change in location can shorten the waiting time.
The applicant must tell Housing NSW within 28 days about any changes to their household circumstances. This includes any changes to the people the applicant may wish to be included on the application and any changes to the gross income of any member of the household, except for the regular indexing of Centrelink incomes.
When Housing NSW is informed about changes to household or household income we will reassess the application to ensure the household is still eligible.
Housing NSW will from time to time, review the income details of all applicants, however clients are advised to contact Housing NSW every 12 months to make sure their application is still active.
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False Information
The maximum penalty for making a false statement or representations is a fine of $2,200 and a clients name may also be removed from the waiting list.
Housing Register Time
The time that a client will be on the Housing Register depends on:
- Number of vacancies.
- The supply of public or community managed housing in the area.
- The number of people waiting for the same type of accommodation in the same area who have been waiting longer.
- Willingness to accept offers of both public and community managed housing.
- The number of people who have demonstrated a high need to be housed. See the policies on Priority Housing, Transfers and Housing Assistance for Elderly Clients.
- The number of applicants leaving the housing register.
- Clients may change their preferences to an area with a shorter waiting time. Their eligibility will be reviewed at this time.
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Application from a Member of the Client’s Household
A member of the client’s household can lodge their own, separate application for public housing. They will be removed from the original application, however, this second application will start from the date on which the person first appeared on the original client’s application, if the applicant has continuously met the public housing eligibility criteria.
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Timeframe for Signing a Tenancy Agreement
When an offer of wait turn housing has been accepted, the applicant must sign a tenancy agreement within 1 week of accepting the offer.
Unless an applicant has a valid reason, failure to sign a tenancy agreement within this timeframe will be considered a rejection of an offer.
Valid reasons for failing to sign a tenancy agreement within the timeframe include:
- Illness or hospitalisation (doctor’s certificate required)
- Family crisis or emergency.
Appealing Decisions or Actions
If a client disagrees with a decision Housing NSW has made, they should first discuss their concerns with a Client Service Officer. The next step if they still believe we made the wrong decision is to ask for a formal review of the decision. For information on how reviews work, the client can ask the Client Service Officer for a copy of the fact sheet ‘Reviewing Decisions’ (PDF file, 397KB), or read the Appeals and Review Decisions.
A person cannot appeal about:
- The length of time they have waited or may have to wait
- The availability or lack of accommodation in any area
- An indication of the likely length of lease whilst on the Housing Register
- A decision to house someone ahead of them on a priority basis.
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