Rent Choice Veterans

Do you need help finding and paying for a place to live?

The NSW Government has a program for former members of the permanent Australian Defence Force called Rent Choice Veterans.

In partnership with RSL LifeCare, the program supports eligible veterans and their families to:

• find a rental property
• get a lease or stay in their current accommodation
• pay the rent for up to three years, and
• gain skills and work opportunities to support financial independence.

Who can get Rent Choice Veterans?

You might be eligible for Rent Choice Veterans if you:

• don’t have a place to live (you might be sleeping on a couch, in a shelter, boarding house, or at risk of homelessness), and
• are an Australian Citizen or Australian permanent resident, and
• want to work or complete training to help obtain a job, and
• are within the income eligibility limits.

How does it work?

For the first 12 months, you pay 25% of your weekly household income plus 100% of any Commonwealth Rent Assistance you may be entitled to get.

Once you have paid your share of the rent, we pay the rest directly to the landlord or real estate agent. The amount you pay will gradually increase after 12 months, but we’ll chat to you about that closer to the time.

Your income can increase and you may still continue to receive Rent Choice Veterans.

How will I know if a property is affordable?

The Rent Choice Veterans subsidy will only be approved for a private rental property that is considered affordable and within your financial means. A property is considered affordable if the rent is no more than 50% of your income plus 100% of any Commonwealth Rent Assistance you may be entitled to receive.

How long will I receive help for?

Initially, the subsidy will be paid for three months and can be paid for up to a maximum of 36 months. Every three months we will review your need for the subsidy and see if you need any additional support.

What other housing support can I receive?

The Rent Choice Veterans subsidy can be provided along with other DCJ private rental assistance products and services that you might be eligible for, including:

• Tenancy Facilitation - Help to search and apply for private rental properties.
• Private Rental Brokerage Service – One-on-one help for eligible clients with complex needs to secure and sustain a private rental property.
• Bond Extra – A grant of up to $1,500 made to landlords or agents at the end of a lease to cover rental arrears and/or property damage over and above the rental bond.
• Rentstart Bond Loan -  An interest free loan to help pay up to 4 weeks bond.
• Advance Rent - A grant to help pay for 1-2 weeks rent in advance at the start of a tenancy, provided in conjunction with Rentstart Bond Loan.
• Rent Choice Brokerage Funds – only available to active Rent Choice clients to help establish their tenancy with goods and/or services.

What is Commonwealth Rent Assistance?

This is a weekly Centrelink payment given to eligible people who:

• rent in the private market or
• rent a property owned by the Aboriginal Housing Office or
• rent a property owned and/or managed by an Aboriginal or mainstream community housing provider.

Read more about CRA or contact your local Centrelink for information.

How do I find out more?

Whether you have a question, want to know more, or need to discuss your options, please contact us.

RSL LifeCare

Phone: 8088 0388 or 0417196263

Email: info@rsllifecare.org.au

Web: rsllifecare.org.au/veteran-services

Contact address: Level 5 120 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065

Link2Home Veterans Ex-Service
1800 326 989