Policy
Housing Tasmania Eligibility
SDMS ID Number
P2012/0178-030
SDMS Title
Housing Tasmania Eligibility – Policy – P2012/0178-030
Effective From
15 June 2015
Applies to
All Housing Tasmania clients
Custodian
Manager Housing Strategy
Summary
This policy outlines Housing Tasmania’s eligibility criteria to access housing
assistance with Housing Tasmania
Replaces Doc. No.
Author Area
Housing Strategy – Social and Affordable Housing Policy Unit
Contact
Manager, Housing Strategy
Review Date
June 2018
Policy Purpose
Policy Intent
Housing Tasmania contributes to a socially just Tasmania through the
provision of affordable quality housing services for Tasmanians in greatest
need. The purpose of this policy is to outline the requirements for
establishing the eligibility for housing assistance with Housing Tasmania.
Establishing eligibility is step 1 in the 4 step process for housing assistance
with Housing Tasmania, as per below:
Step 1:
Establishing eligibility for Housing Tasmania (Housing
Tasmania Eligibility Policy and Procedures)
Step 2:
Establishing entitlement and level of housing need (General or
Priority) (Housing Assessment Prioritisation System Policy and
Procedures; Bedroom Entitlement Policy and Procedure; and
Proof of Identity Policy)
Step 3:
Allocation review to confirm application details have not changed
from the assessment with Housing Connect, and to confirm the
client’s income and assets are within the Housing Tasmania
threshold for allocating properties. (Allocation Interview with
Housing Tasmania Policy), and
Step 4:
Allocating an appropriate property (Matching and Offering a Property
to a Client Policy and Procedure).
Housing Connect will assess clients housing and support needs.
The intent of this policy supports clients having the right to test their
eligibility for safe, high quality, affordable housing assistance with Housing
Tasmania. A client’s eligibility for Housing Tasmania properties is assessed
against basic eligibility criteria.
Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for Housing Tasmania and at no
time is a client guaranteed a property offer with Housing Tasmania.
Application
This policy applies to applications at Housing Connect for clients seeking
housing assistance with Housing Tasmania.
Housing Tasmania
Eligibility
Housing Tasmania properties are limited resources and are allocated to
people with the greatest housing need for their duration of need.. For clients
to access housing assistance with Housing Tasmania, they must meet the
eligibility criteria. Housing Tasmania eligibility is assessed against the following
criteria:

be a Tasmanian resident;

be an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident;

be 16 years or older;

be a low income earner eligible for a Commonwealth Health Care
Card;
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
not have financial assets exceeding $35,000 per household, and

not own land or a home of your own.
For applicants who are unable to meet the Housing Tasmania eligibility
criteria, their application will not be placed on the waitlist for housing
assistance with Housing Tasmania.
Client Information
To ensure the benefits and features of the property match the clients
assessed need, applicants must provide accurate and current information.
Application information can be up dated with Housing Connect.
Changes to a clients
situation
Applicants must contact Housing Connect if there are any changes to
circumstances. Having accurate and current information assists Housing
Connect to be responsive to housing or support need in a timely way.
Changes to an applicant’s situation may change their level of housing need or
change the type of property they require. This may occur where household
makeup or household circumstances have changed. For example a household
member on the application no longer lives at the property, or someone has
developed ongoing or permanent health issues. The type of housing
assistance required will change. It may change the access to certain types of
properties in the social housing system, such as number of bedrooms or a
property with specific modifications.
Housing Connect and
Housing Assistance
Options
At the time of assessment with Housing Connect, clients may be provided
with information on a range of housing assistance options. This will allow
applicants to make the best decision about securing housing and support
based on their needs, for example information on:

assistance to rent housing that meets their needs

assistance to purchase housing that meets their needs

social housing, (including Housing Tasmania and Community Housing)

help with accommodation in a crisis situation or for a short term, e.g. a
motel until longer term accommodation can be found

help with the cost of moving, and

help to maintain a tenancy.
Eligible clients may choose to receive offers for properties managed by any
housing provider by providing consent. In some locations, there may only be
one social housing provider able to meet the client’s specific needs in which
case, they may not be able to choose their preferred social housing provider.
Waiting for a Property
Applicants must continue to meet Housing Tasmania’s eligibility criteria to
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remain eligible for housing assistance with Housing Tasmania.
Applicants having an application on the waiting list for housing assistance with
Housing Tasmania does not guarantee that a housing offer will be made by
Housing Tasmania.
The Rights of Clients
Having somewhere to live that is safe and affordable matters to everyone.
The Tasmanian Homelessness Charter Guide is a statement of core values with
many of the rights containing elements relevant to this policy:
Treated Fairly: within this theme service principles include:

Policies apply equally to everyone.
Choices: within this theme service principles include:

Discretion
Understanding your options and what they mean for you (i.e.
informed choice of housing or support services for properties
managed by any social housing provider)
Discretion allows organisations to be more responsive through early
intervention/prevention.
Discretion may be applied to a client’s application for housing assistance
and/or support at the time of assessment with Housing Connect.
Where possible, applicants in Priority will generally be housed first.
However, Housing Tasmania Area Managers have the discretion to make
decisions to allocate vacant Housing Tasmania properties to the most suitable
applicant on the waitlist.
This supports the creation of mixed communities which promotes social and
economic opportunities for clients. Careful allocation ensures that tenants
have the best opportunity to establish and maintain a successful tenancy.
Legal Framework
This Policy adheres to the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 and the Homes Act
1935.
Exemptions
Nil
Responsibilities/
Delegations
Housing Operations staff members are responsible for ensuring the
appropriate application of the policy. Area Managers are responsible for Area
management including policy application.
Disclaimer
This is a statewide policy and must not be re-interpreted so that subordinate
policies exist. Should discrete operational differences exist, these should be
expressed in the form of an operating procedure or protocol.
Audit and Compliance
Failure to comply with this policy, without providing a good reason for doing
so, may lead to disciplinary action.
Compliance with this policy is monitored by the Manager Housing
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Operations, through the delegated Area Managers.
Compliance with this policy, without providing a good reason for doing so
may lead to disciplinary action.
Procedures and Forms
Consent to share client information
Related Policies
Consent to Share Client Information Policy
Housing Assessment Prioritisation System Policy
Allocation Review with Housing Tasmania Policy
Bedroom Entitlement Policy
Proof of Identity Policy
Outstanding Charges Policy
Policy Title and Version
Housing Tasmania Eligibility v2.0
Effective Date
15 June 2015
Review Date
June 2018
Document Number
P2012/0178-030
Replaces Document Number
n/a
Custodian
Housing Tasmania, Social and Affordable Housing Policy
Approved by
Manager Housing Strategy
This Policy may be varied, withdrawn or replaced at any time. Compliance with this directive is mandatory for the
Department of Health and Human Services. Please Destroy Printed Copies. The electronic version of this
Policy is the approved and current version and is located on the Agency’s intranet. Any printed version is
uncontrolled and therefore not current.
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