Operational Guidelines
Contents
When do these operational guidelines apply? 1
Purpose statement 1
Human rights considerations 2
Special Accommodation Requirements 2
Housing Size Guidelines 2
Bedroom requirements 3
Location requirements 5
Property requirements 7
Decision review 10
Victorian Housing Register: Clients with Special Accommodation Requirements Operational Guidelines 10
When do these operational guidelines apply?
These operational guidelines should be followed by designated service providers and social housing organisations when assessing and making decisions related to applications to the Victorian Housing Register (the register) and to determine if an offer of housing is a reasonable offer.
Decisions in relation to allocation of social housing are to be made in accordance with the relevant social housing organisation’s allocations practices. However, a social housing organisation may have regard to this operational guideline when making decisions about allocation.
These operational guidelines form part of a set of guidelines that together sit under the Eligibility Policy Framework.
Purpose statement
The intent of these operational guidelines is to provide guidance to staff in assessing applications for social housing to make decisions by setting out criteria to best match people with housing, with a view to assisting social housing organisations to maximise the use of social housing properties in accordance with their allocations policy.
Matching a person to a property is typically based on the following:
· Housing Size Guidelines
· consideration of any Special Accommodation Requirements such as access to particular location requirements, property access needs or property type for medical reasons
· consideration of housing requests from specific client groups, such as transfer applicants
· availability of suitable housing in an applicant’s preferred areas.
Human rights considerations
In deciding what action to take, staff must give proper consideration to the relevant human rights in accordance with the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 s38(1) (the Charter). This consideration should include the potential impact the proposed action they are undertaking through these operational guidelines may have on the person’s (and their household’s) rights under the Charter.
For more information see Making Client Focused Decisions Operational Guidelines.
Special Accommodation Requirements
In special circumstances, households may have Special Accommodation Requirements.
Special Accommodation Requirements are:
· housing in a particular area or location to access ongoing specialist treatment, care or education
· housing such as properties without stairs or low density housing due to limited mobility or a medical or mental health condition
· installation of minor modifications such as grab rails or lever taps
· installation of major modifications such as internal fire safety sprinkler systems and fully modified properties that are wheelchair accessible.
Treating health practitioners or relevant professionals are required to complete the relevant sections in the Special Accommodation Requirements form or provide written documentation as requested, to support requests by applicants.
Where an applicant requests a Special Accommodation Requirement based on less obvious limitations, the treating health practitioner should provide confirmation of the extent the condition impacts on the applicant’s daily living.
When assisting applicants to apply for social housing, the applicant’s preferences, such as singles housing, request for sponsored housing or Special Accommodation Requirements, will be considered against the demand for the house size and preferred area/s.
Housing Size Guidelines
Table 1 outlines the Housing Size Guidelines for determining the number of bedrooms for applicants for social housing, for the purposes of the register.
When determining the number of bedrooms for a household, the following principles apply to both new and transfer applicants:
• Residents 18 years and over are entitled to their own room.
• Siblings of different genders are not required to share a bedroom regardless of age.
• Children of the same gender within a household containing two separate family units are able to share bedrooms (e.g. Adult A + Child 1 and Adult B + Child 2. Child 1 and 2 can share a bedroom if they are the same gender and both under 18 years).
• Only single people are allocated bedsit accommodation.
• Households with two members of the same gender may be allocated two bedrooms, however, couples can request smaller accommodation.
• An application that includes a household member who is under an Assurance of Support is approved for the size of housing that the household will be eligible for once all members become eligible.
• With the exception of a household member under an Assurance of Support, only eligible household members are included when calculating housing size/bedroom entitlements.
• The eligibility of the whole household is reassessed prior to an offer of housing being made, and also prior to a household signing a lease for a property.
Note: The Housing Size Guidelines may be used subject to the discretion of the social housing organisation to manage their social housing stock.
Table 1: Housing Size Guidelines
Household groupings / Minimum number of roomsSingle person or couple / 1 bedroom
Additional residents 18 years and over / 1 bedroom
1 child younger than 18 years of age / 1 bedroom
2 children under 18 years of age / 2 children of same gender
2 children of different genders / 1 bedroom
2 bedrooms
3 children under 18 years of age / 3 children of same gender
2 children of same gender and 1 of a different gender / 2 bedrooms
2 bedrooms
4 children under 18 years of age / 4 children of same gender
2 children of each gender
3 children of same gender and 1 of a different gender / 2 bedrooms
2 bedrooms
3 bedrooms
5 children under 18 years of age / any combination / 3 bedrooms
6 children or more under 18 years of age / 6 children of same gender
4 children of same gender and 2 of different genders
any other combination / 3 bedrooms
3 bedrooms
4 bedrooms
To calculate the total number of bedrooms for each household, the number of bedrooms per grouping is added together.
Note: In the case of a transfer application that contains ineligible children aged 18 to 24 years, these children are included when determining appropriately sized accommodation for a transfer allocation if they have lived in the property for a minimum of six months prior to the submission of a transfer application.
Bedroom requirements
Bedroom for medical reasons
A separate bedroom is provided when:
· a member of a household requires a separate bedroom due to a serious medical condition or for medical equipment that can’t be accommodated elsewhere in the property
· an applicant requires a separate bedroom for full-time live-in care or ongoing full-time rostered care provided by a health professional or family and friends.
Documentation for extra bedroom for medical reasons
A treating health practitioner must provide documentation about the medical condition and the applicant’s or household member’s need for a separate bedroom. The treating health practitioner must confirm that an extra bedroom is essential to the applicant’s (or household member’s) ongoing health, and without it their health and wellbeing will be negatively impacted.
Treating health practitioner(s) are required to complete the relevant sections in the Special Accommodation Requirements form. Additional documentation may also be required within the application.
Live-in carers
Where a full-time live-in carer has household members or dependants who also plan to live with them permanently and the members are eligible for social housing, the household is allocated the appropriate number of bedrooms according to the Housing Size Guidelines.
Bedroom for growing families
An extra bedroom is provided when the applicant or household member is pregnant and:
· has no children;
· knows the gender of their expected child and the expected child’s gender entitles the household to an extra bedroom; or
· regardless of the expected child’s gender, an extra bedroom is permitted according to the Housing Size Guidelines. For example, a household presently with two young girls would be entitled to an extra bedroom, regardless of the expected child’s gender.
Documentation for extra bedroom for growing families
An applicant or household member expecting a child must provide documents from a treating health practitioner to confirm the pregnancy and the likely date of birth. The treating health practitioner must also document the expected child’s gender if an extra bedroom is to be approved for the applicant on the grounds that children of different genders are not required to share a bedroom.
Bedroom for shared care arrangements
Non-custodial parents with shared care arrangements may request an extra bedroom where the children live with them on a regular basis (typically at a minimum of every second weekend and half of school holidays), and where it is established this is required to protect and preserve the family unit and child’s interests.
Documentation for extra bedroom for shared care arrangements
Documents are required to confirm the shared care (custody) and access arrangements.
This can be provided by:
• a solicitor
• the Family Law Court
• a statutory declaration from the primary caregiver
• a Centrelink income statement.
Bedroom for foster carers
Extra bedrooms are provided to applicants who are foster carers, where a foster carer can demonstrate they are required to look after foster children.
Documentation for extra bedroom for foster carers
The relevant foster care agency must provide documentation confirming the care arrangements
Location requirements
An applicant’s request to exclude particular locations within a preferred area is considered in the following circumstances:
· where there is risk to the applicant’s or household member’s safety such as family violence or physical violence
· where there is negative impact on the applicant’s wellbeing
· where the applicant’s Centrelink income and workforce participation will be impacted.
Requests to limit an offer to locations within a preferred area are also considered to enable a household member with support needs to:
· attend a school offering specialised education
· have regular and ongoing access to a specific medical facility or support provider that is not available elsewhere and cannot be accessed if the household is living in another location
· be located where family or friends who can provide ongoing regular support or rostered care to prevent the deterioration of their medical condition
· live a specified distance from public transport when a household member is reliant on public transport due to mobility issues.
Note: Where a household member is reliant on public transport due to mobility issues, but can only use trains that have facilities for wheelchair access, the support documentation should say how close the household member needs to be to an appropriate train station.
Evidence for location requirements due to safety
Where an applicant is applying for a location requirement due to safety reasons, the register will accept an applicant’s judgement where an applicant believes they or a household member will be unsafe in a particular location. This is consistent with the approach of the Royal Commission into Family Violence.
The locations that are unsafe must be clearly identified in the application, by the applicant, or through a formal risk assessment.
Requests for location requirements due to safety reasons such as family violence may be supported by an Interim or Final Intervention Order or application for one of these, integrated assessment such as a Common Risk Assessment Framework that identifies family violence, Family Court Restraining Order (Federal), or a letter from a solicitor, medical practitioner or designated service provider.
Where documents are provided, they should only be sighted and not attached to the application.
Housing officers should not retain them on the applicant’s file.
Evidence for location requirements due to impact on wellbeing
Applicants may request a location requirement where the location negatively impacts on their wellbeing. The assessment that the applicant requires a location exemption is based on the professional advice and recommendations of the treating health practitioner or designated service provider.
For example, the location lacks transportation that is suitable to the applicant’s need, and no alternative transportation methods are available, to access a specialist medical facility; the applicant has a mental health issue where the treating health practitioner is able to confirm that the location is a significant factor in recurrent trauma; or the applicant has a history of drug activity in a particular area where previous drug acquaintances still frequent, and the location would significantly increase their risk of re-engaging in such activity.
Applicants should provide documentation relevant to the circumstance requiring a location exemption. Evidence must be specific to the risk.
The following documents should be provided:
· Special Accommodation Requirements form completed by the treating health practitioner; or
· confirmation from a designated service provider detailing how the location will negatively impact on the applicant’s wellbeing.
Evidence for location requirements due to Centrelink payments
Applicants requesting a location requirement due to the possibility that Centrelink will cancel their payments should provide:
• Documents from Centrelink listing the locations where they cannot live.
Evidence for location requirements for education
Applicants requesting a location requirement to attend a specialist school should provide the following:
• Special Accommodation Requirements form completed by the relevant professional
• documents from the school to confirm that the student is or will be attending, this should include information about the school’s catchment area so that as many locality options as possible are incorporated within the preferred area/s.
A specific locality within a preferred area/s is only approved for an applicant when it is determined that access to the school is not available from other localities within the applicant’s preferred area/s, or from localities within a neighbouring area.
Evidence for access to a medical facility, treating health practitioner or support service
Applicants may request a location which gives them regular and appropriate access to a medical facility, treating health practitioner or support service.
Requests for a location requirement for medical or support purposes must be supported by the appropriate treating health practitioner who is responsible for the ongoing treatment and management of the individual’s condition. They must confirm the applicant’s medical condition or disability, and how it relates to the need for the Special Accommodation Requirements.