Housing register
What is the housing register?
If you are eligible for housing assistance, your application is placed on the housing register—a list based on each person’s level of housing need.
Levels of housing need
Very high need—People who are homeless or their current housing is inappropriate and they have experienced a high number of issues trying to access and keep a tenancy in a private rental property.
High need—People whose current housing is not suitable and they have a medium number of issues with accessing or keeping a tenancy in a private rental property.
Moderate need—People whose current housing is not suitable and they have a low number of issues with accessing or keeping a tenancy in a private rental property.
Lower need—People who have issues with their current housing but they do not have any problems getting suitable housing. They can afford a private rental property.
Note: Applicants within each level of housing are considered equal and are listed in order of when they applied.
If you are listed on the housing register as having a moderate or lower housing need, we may not be able to offer you a place to live. You should talk to your nearest Housing Service Centre about other housing assistance options.
When is an offer of housing made?
We cannot predict when housing may be offered to you. Offers of housing are affected by:
- the number of properties in the area you want to live in
- the number of properties that become available (from people moving out)
- the number of people who have a higher housing need than you
- the number of people who have the same housing need, in the same area as you, but were approved before you.
Overview of application process
Processing and assessing applications for housing
- Process:
- Your application is assessed against the:
- Housing eligibility criteria
- Accessibility and sustainability housing need criteria
- Purpose:
- To determine eligibility for housing and your level of housing need for the different types of housing assistance
Housing register management
- Process:
- Regular reviews of your circumstances
- Purpose:
- To check your level of housing need for the different types of housing we provide
Offer of housing
- Process:
- Housing is offered to people on the register according to their housing needs
- Purpose:
- To make sure the right housing is offered to people according to what they need
Responding to letters and phone calls from us
We will regularly send you letters to make sure you are still eligible for housing and to update your information. If you do not answer these letters within the time frame we set, or respond to any phone calls we make, we will cancel your application.
Changing the areas you want to live
You can only change the area(s) you want to live in before you are offered housing. If you have shown a need to live in a specific area you will need to talk to your nearest Housing Service Centre about why you want to change this.
If you go on a holiday
Tell us if you are going on holiday so that we do not cancel your application if you don’t respond to our letters or phone calls.
If you no longer want housing
Tell us if you no longer want housing so your application can be taken off the housing register.
