Community Housing

What is Community Housing?

Community housing provides secure, affordable, long-term rental accommodation for individuals and families living on low to moderate incomes.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible for community housing, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be an Australian citizen or hold permanent residency in Australia
• Be a resident of NSW
• Be able to sustain a tenancy, with or without support
• Be able to make repayments of any former debts to a social housing provider
• Not own any assets or property that could reasonably be expected to resolve your housing needs
• Have a household income within the income eligibility limits
• In general, be at least 18 years of age

How do I apply?

You can apply for housing using an Application for Housing Assistance. You can lodge your application with any housing provider in NSW, either in person or by mail. This includes all branch offices of Housing Plus. You can also submit an Application for Housing Assistance online or by calling the Housing Contact Centre on 1800 422 322 between 9am-5pm weekdays. You will need your Medicare card and your Centrelink details when you call.

For more information about applying for social housing, visit www.housingpathways.nsw.gov.au

When will I get a property?

If your application is approved, you will be placed on a waiting list that is accessible by all social housing providers.

The time you wait will depend on:

• The area you need to live in
• The number of properties in the area and how often these become vacant
• The type of property you need
• The number of bedrooms you need
• When a suitable property becomes available, we will contact you to make an offer.

How do I accept an offer?

You will have two days from receiving the offer to inspect the property, decide if it suits your needs and accept the property.

If you do not respond within two days, we will assume you are not interested and the property will be offered to another applicant.

You will be given up to two reasonable offers of suitable housing. If you do not accept these reasonable offers, your name may be removed from the waiting list.

Key Links:

So Many Housing Terms – What Do They All Mean?

Allocation zones

Applying for social housing

New obligations for social housing applicants

Waiting times for social housing

Housing Plus Community Housing Policies