You can apply in three ways
- You can contact your nearest Housing Service Centre to arrange an interview to discuss your eligibility and housing needs. At the interview, you will need to complete and sign an Application for Housing Assistance form .
- You can complete an Application for Housing Assistance form and send it to your nearest Housing Service Centre. You will then be contacted to arrange an appointment to discuss your application.
- You can apply to long-term community housing providers and affordable housing providers who will then send the application to the department on your behalf.
The eligibility criteria are listed on the fact sheet Eligibility for housing assistance .
Housing Service Centre staff will advise which documents you will need to bring to the interview; for example, proof of identification forms, evidence of your household's income and assets, evidence of citizenship and Queensland residency, evidence of how much rent you currently pay, and evidence of any specific housing needs.
Issues to be discussed at the interview will include:
- if you are eligible for housing assistance and whether you need housing assistance
- where you want to live and how many bedrooms you are entitled to, and
- any specific housing needs you or your household may have.
Note: It is an offence under the Housing Act 2003 to knowingly provide to the Department of Communities false or misleading information that may influence decisions about your eligibility for housing services.
Assessment of eligibility for housing assistance
Your application will be assessed against the following criteria to determine your eligibility for housing assistance and level of housing need:
- Social housing eligibility criteria
- Australian citizenship or permanent residency
- Queensland residency
- Assets test (property ownership and liquid assets)
- Independent income
- Household income limits
- Appropriateness eligibility criteria. These assess if your current housing situation is appropriate to your housing needs.
- Accessibility/Sustainability housing need criteria. These identify if you experience barriers preventing you from finding or sustaining housing appropriate to your needs in the private rental market.
- You must first meet the social housing eligibility criteria including at least one of the Appropriateness criteria. See the fact sheet Eligibility for housing assistance for more on the social housing eligibility criteria.
- If you meet the social housing eligibility criteria including at least one of the Appropriateness criteria, you are then assessed against the Accessibility/Sustainability criteria to determine your level of housing need and placement on the housing register.
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3. Once the assessment of your eligibility for housing assistance and level of housing need is completed and you are eligible, your application will be placed on the housing register according to your level of housing need.
Very high need - applicants who are homeless, or whose current housing is inappropriate and they have a number of issues with accessing and sustaining a tenancy in the private rental market.
High need - applicants whose current housing is inappropriate and they have some issues with accessing or sustaining in the private rental market.
Moderate need - applicants whose current housing is inappropriate and they have fewer issues with accessing or sustaining a tenancy in the private rental market.
Lower need - applicants who have issues with their current housing but do not have any barriers to accessing and sustaining appropriate housing. They have the financial means and capacity to rent appropriate housing in the private sector.
Note: Applicants within each of the levels of housing need are considered to be equal and are listed in order of their application date.
Overview of the process for determining your eligibility for housing assistance and level of housing need.
| Stage | Process | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Processing and assessing applications for housing assistance | Your application for social housing is assessed against the:
|
To determine eligibility for social housing and your level of housing need for the different types of housing assistance |
| Housing register management | Regular reviews of your circumstances | To review your level of housing need for the different types of housing assistance |
| Offer of social housing | Housing offered to applicants on the housing register according to their housing requirements and level of housing need | To ensure appropriate social housing is offered to applicants according to their level of housing need |
More information
Please contact your nearest Housing Service Centre. Also refer to the fact sheets:
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