During your tenancy
Ongoing eligibility for housing assistance
The Social Housing and Remote Indigenous Housing and Homelessness programs, aim to provide housing assistance to low income earners in greatest need for the duration of that need. The Ongoing Eligibility policy allows the department to consider whether a household has improved its circumstances and no longer needs housing assistance subsidised by the Queensland Government. These households will be required to vacate their properties and transition into the private rental market or home ownership.
What is the Ongoing Eligibility policy?
The Ongoing Eligibility policy requires that all households will be regularly reviewed to see whether they still have a need for ongoing housing assistance.
Households will be ineligible for ongoing housing assistance where:
- the combined gross assessable income of the tenant/s and spouse exceeds $80,000 per year
- any member of the household owns or part owns property in Australia or overseas
- the household fails to return requested information to enable their eligibility for ongoing housing assistance to be assessed.
If households fail to provide the necessary property and income information when requested, the department will be unable to assess their ongoing eligibility. This will result in the department assuming property ownership and/or high income and, therefore, these households will be deemed ineligible.
Ineligible households will be asked to vacate the property by moving into the private rental market or home ownership.
How long will ineligible households be given to vacate the property?
Ineligible households will have a transition period of six months to vacate their property. Tenants can vacate their property at any time during this six month transition period.
Can ineligible households ask for a review of their household's circumstances?
Ineligible households can request a review of their circumstances during the six month transition period. Tenants must request a review by completing a review form and providing the reasons why they should not be required to vacate.
Tenants must also provide any necessary evidence supporting their request for ongoing housing assistance. Tenants should discuss what evidence will be required to support their request for a review with their nearest Housing Services office.
The department will assess the information provided by the tenants on the review form and the supporting evidence to determine if the household still requires housing assistance.
The tenant will be advised in writing of the outcome of this review. Households that no longer require ongoing housing assistance will be required to vacate by the end of the six month transition period.
Can tenants purchase the property they live in?
Ineligible households can apply to purchase the property they live in through the department's Sales to Tenants program. Please note: not all properties are available for sale.
Households that would like to investigate this option should contact the Sales to Tenants program on 3225 2026.
What if my circumstances change during the six months I have to vacate?
Households that have a change in their circumstances during the six month period they have to vacate their property should contact their nearest Housing Services office. These households must still provide details of the change and evidence supporting their request for a review of their circumstances.
Need more information?
Please contact your nearest Housing Services office.
Last updated 21 January 2010
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