Changes to social housing: applicant factsheet
Last published 22 Oct 2018
What is changing?
The Department of Family and Community Services is transferring the tenancy management of around 14,000 social housing tenancies to community housing providers under the Social Housing Management Transfer program. The NSW Government supports the diversity and service delivery of community housing providers and their ability to make a positive impact on people’s lives.
There are about 144,000 social housing properties across NSW and 19 per cent are already managed by community housing providers. This change will bring this up to 32 per cent.
This will help us deliver on the Future Directions for Social Housing in NSW reform program aimed at improving social housing tenant outcomes, announced in January 2016.
What are the benefits of the Social Housing Management Transfer program?
The NSW Government wants to make sure social housing has a more positive impact on people’s lives. Increasing the management of social housing properties by our community housing partners will:
- make the most of community networks to deliver better long term outcomes for our applicants and tenants
- make the social housing system stronger and more diverse
- access more sources of funding that are available to community housing providers to better support tenants
- build up the skills and size of the community housing sector.
How were the community housing providers chosen?
The Social Housing Management Transfer program tender opened for submissions on Monday, 27 March 2017 and closed on Friday, 26 May 2017. The successful community housing providers were selected following a rigorous evaluation process.
The successful community housing providers will focus on building partnerships with social housing applicants, tenants, local communities and stakeholders to provide housing services and supports that meet the client’s individual housing needs. They have a common goal to make the social housing system more sustainable, diverse and dynamic.
They are registered under the National Regulatory System for Community Housing Providers and meet national performance standards. They will have additional contractual requirements for achieving better outcomes for tenants.
They will be required to link tenants with appropriate local support services as required, based on individual need.
Who will my community housing provider be and when will the transfer happen?
Below is a summary of transfer locations, successful community housing providers and the dates for the transfer in each location:
Local Government Area | Successful community housing provider | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|
Shoalhaven | Southern Cross Community Housing Limited | 22 October 2018 |
Nambucca, Kempsey, Port Macquarie-Hastings | Community Housing Limited | 19 November 2018 |
Ryde, Hornsby, Ku-ring-gai | Link Housing Limited | 3 December 2018 |
North Sydney, Hunters Hill, Lane Cove, Willoughby | St George Community Housing Limited (SGCH) | 1 April 2019 |
Gunnedah, Tamworth, Walcha, Liverpool Plains, Armidale Regional, Glen Innes, Gwydir, Guyra, Inverell, Moree Plains, Narrabri, Tenterfield, Uralla | Homes North Community Housing Company Limited | 6 May 2019 |
Singleton, Cessnock, Dungog, Mid-Coast, Muswellbrook, Upper Hunter | Compass Housing Services Co Limited | 3 June 2019 |
Coffs Harbour, Bellingen | Mission Australia Housing | 1 July 2019 |
Northern Beaches and Mosman | Bridge Housing Limited working in partnership with the Women’s Housing Company | 5 August 2019 |
Maitland and Port Stephens | Hume Community Housing Association Limited | 2 September 2019 |
Who will own the properties when they are transferred?
The NSW Government will still own the properties and they will be leased to the community housing providers to manage social housing tenancies.
Will social housing still be available in transfer locations?
Yes. Community housing providers will offer secure, affordable, long-term social housing in the transfer locations.
Will I still be offered housing?
Yes. The NSW Housing Register is a state-wide list for applicants approved for social housing. If you have been approved for social housing under Housing Pathways, you will still be listed on the NSW Housing Register.
How should I apply for help with housing if I live in one of these areas?
If you are applying for housing assistance for the first time or applying for help to rent privately, you can do this online at www.facs.nsw.gov.au or call the Housing Contact Centre on 1800 422 322.
How can I get help if I’m homeless in one of these areas?
You can go to the local community housing provider’s office to discuss your situation, or you can call Link2Home on free call 1800 152 152.
What does it mean for me if my area of choice is included in this program?
This will depend on when you receive an offer of housing, and the information you have supplied on your application:
- I said ‘Yes’ to community housing on my application.
If your area of choice is listed in the table above and you receive an offer before the transfer occurs, the offer could either be from the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) or a community housing provider.
If the offer is from DCJ, we will initially manage your tenancy until the transfer takes place in your location. Your tenancy will then transfer and be managed by a community housing provider.
If you receive an offer after the transfer occurs, the offer will be from a community housing provider and that community housing provider will manage your tenancy.
- I said ‘No’ to community housing on my application.
After we transfer management to community housing providers in the areas listed, you will no longer have an option to choose who you would like to manage your tenancy. Only housing managed by community housing providers will be available. DCJ will no longer manage tenancies or applications for social housing in these areas.
If you receive an offer before the transfer occurs, your tenancy will initially be managed by DCJ until the transfer in your location occurs, your tenancy will then be managed by, a community housing provider.
If you would prefer that only DCJ manage your future tenancy, you will need to update your application to a location not listed in the table above.
What should I do now?
You don’t need to do anything right now. If you have listed an area where tenancies will be managed by community housing providers in the future, we will be in touch with you before the transfer occurs.
Who can I talk to about this program?
If you have any questions about the Social Housing Management Transfer program and want to talk to someone, you can:
- call the Housing Contact Centre on 1800 422 322. This is a free call from landlines, most mobile phones and the phones located in your local DCJ office
- speak to your local DCJ client service team
- visit the Management Transfer Program
Interpreting and Translation Services
DCJ provides a range of language services to ensure that all clients have equal access to social housing services and information.
If you need help with interpreting or translation because English is not your first language, phone the All Graduates Translating and Interpreting Service on 1300 652 488. They will phone the housing organisation and interpret for you for free.