The following has been adopted as Council’s Applicant Criteria Policy:
1. All applicants must be able to care for themselves.
2. All applicants must provide at least two written referees’ reports verifying their character and willingness to adapt to living in a close community environment.
3. “Category A” applicants are those aged over 60 years on a permanent benefit who possess less than $20,000 in total assets for a single person, $30,000 for a couple, not including a car.
4. “Category B” applicants are those aged over 60 years on a permanent benefit with assets exceeding the permissible amount for Category A applicants and who have been assessed as having a specific need for community housing.
5. “Category C” applicants are those on a permanent sickness or invalids benefit who possess less than $20,000 in total assets and who have been assessed as having a specific need for community housing.
6. “Category D” applicants are classified as being all other applicants who have been assessed as having a specific need for community housing.
The following has been adopted as Council’s Unit Allocation Policy:
All applicants will be interviewed prior to unit allocation to determine suitability for Council’s housing units.
All applicants must either be able to care for themselves or require minimum supervision and support from community support providers. Prior to unit allocation and where appropriate, Council will require written confirmation from a health professional to ensure tenants are able to live independently.
All applicants must demonstrate a willingness to adapt to living harmoniously in a close community environment, either through providing appropriate referees that can be verified and contacted by Council, and/or through the interview process.
1. Units are to be let on the basis that the tenant is on a three-month trial to assess the tenant’s suitability.
2. While it is unlikely that a tenant will be asked to vacate the unit, all tenants must be aware their occupancy of the unit is strictly at the pleasure of Council, (subject to the Residential Tenancies Act 1986).
3. Units are to be offered to in order, Category A and B applicants.
4. To determine which of the Category A and/or B applicants will be allocated a unit, written support from a health professional and alternative accommodation availability is to be considered.
5. With regard to Category B, C and D applicants, in determining a ‘specific need’ for community housing, the following matters will be taken into consideration:
· The applicant’s current living situation
· The applicant’s ability to afford housing in the private markets
· The applicant’s requirement for accessibility to essential services
· The extent to which a Council housing unit will enable the applicant to live independently in the community or to ‘age in place'
· The availability of suitable alternative accommodation