What is Community Housing?
Social housing is made up of two types of housing, government public housing and community housing which is managed by not-for-profit agencies such as Home in Place.
Community housing is subsidised rental housing provided by not-for-profit, non-government organisations and is targeted at households on low incomes or who would otherwise struggle to find suitable accommodation.
At Home in Place, we believe community housing is about much more than providing accommodation. It’s also about building communities which is why we’re dedicated to making sure our tenants have a voice and are actively engaged in their communities.
In addition to professional tenancy management, Home in Place continues to be an industry leader in the provision of additional wraparound services that help sustain tenancies and delivering tenant engagement initiatives that help foster greater economic and social participation.
Home in Place offers transitional (short-term) and long-term housing under various government programs.
In NSW, Home in Place participates in Housing Pathways, a shared access system used by public and community housing providers together, to assess clients for housing assistance and to make offers of housing. This shared system avoids the duplication of separate waiting lists, and makes it easier, simpler and fairer to apply for housing.
Long-Term Community Housing (QLD)
Long-term community housing in Queensland is provided on the basis of ongoing eligibility.
Each year, Home in Place is required to review whether households continue to meet the criteria for this type of housing. This includes confirming that household income remains within the program limits, that no member of the household owns or part-owns property in Australia or overseas, and that the home continues to be suitable for the household’s needs. The review also considers tenancy conduct, including whether there has been frequent or ongoing antisocial behaviour by tenants, occupants or guests.
If a household is found to no longer be eligible for long-term community housing, Home in Place will support the transition into the private rental market.
Frequently asked questions
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Affordable housing is open to a broader range of household incomes than social housing which requires stricter criteria before it can be accessed.
Affordable housing is managed much like private rental properties however involves specific eligibility criteria, in general most affordable housing mangers are not-for-profit community housing providers.
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Community housing providers are organisations that provide housing for people with very low, low or moderate incomes or people with specific additional needs such as disabilities or difficult circumstances.
Community housing providers should be registered with the national regulatory body and meet the requirements of the national regulatory system for community housing.
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There are number of types of community housing however the two main types of housing provided are:
- General social housing in the form of long term housing services in addition to specialist support services from community organisations
- Specialist homelessness services focusing on short term crisis accommodation or transitional housing
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Typically if an individual or their partner owns or has shares in property that could be a suitable alternative to social housing they will not be eligible for social housing.
This is assessed on whether or not they are able to either live in the property or sell their equity in the property.
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Specific waiting times for social housing vary depending on a number of factors, including whether you are applying as a general or priority applicant and the level of demand in your area.
You can check indicative waiting times for your location by using the relevant state or territory government housing tools for your region.
New South Wales (NSW)
Social housing expected waiting times (by allocation zone or suburb)Victoria (VIC)
Victorian Housing Register (applications and waitlist information)Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Public housing waiting lists and average waiting timesNorthern Territory (NT)
Public housing waiting list and allocations informationTasmania (TAS)
Housing Connect social housing information and waitlist processQueensland (QLD)
Eligibility, application process and social housing registerSouth Australia (SA)
Register for public and community housing (Housing Connect)
Direct Housing Connect portalWestern Australia (WA)
Public housing information including how to apply and waiting list details -
Tenants in social housing pay rent as they would in the private rental market, however at a much lower rate. The rate charged can differ depending on the specific case of the tenant.
Community housing organisations like Home in Place can access government grants and funding to provide more services and increased access to housing supply through development and head leasing programs.
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It is the tenant’s responsibility to notify the relevant parties within 28 days of any changes in their household, this includes:
- the number of people in the home
- anyone staying regularly in the home
- changes to household income
- if anyone in the household is self employed or running their own business
- any assets including savings, shares, dividends the household owns
- any property ownership or inheritance in the household
- any lump sum payments received such as workers compensation or insurance
For more specific information, please review the Affordable Housing Policy document on our policies page.
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Most community housing providers will have an appeals policy in place allowing you to submit a review or dispute of the decision.
To review Home in Place’s policies on internal reviews and appeals please see our Appeals Policy located on our policies page.
