How to Apply

Applying for Community Housing in NSW

There are 35 Housing Associations in NSW.  Please see the Directory of Housing Associations on this website to see which areas they cover.  Each association has its own rules on who can apply for housing.  You will need to fill in a separate application form for any association you wish to apply to for housing.

Generally, community housing does not provide emergency or crisis accommodation – its important to remember that waiting lists can be long and you are unlikely to be housed immediately. You can apply for more than one community housing organisation, public housing, and Aboriginal housing if you are eligible.

When you contact the housing association they will tell you how you will need to apply for housing. You will need to fill out an application form for each of the housing associations that you want to apply with. In some cases you will be interviewed. If you need help in understanding the form or with any part of the process make sure you tell the housing association.

You should also to apply to Housing NSW . For most community housing programs, you will need to show that you are eligible to be housed by Housing NSW.  In most case you will need to provide the organisation with your Housing NSW “T-number.”

Once you have applied, the housing association will assess your application and decide if you are eligible for housing. You will have to provide information on your income, assets and details of your housing situation. You should provide as much detail as you can. All information you give will be treated as confidential and can’t be given to another organisation without your permission.

Each housing association has different procedures for deciding who will get housed and when. These reflect the needs in their local areas. You can get information about how the allocation decisions are made when you apply.  However in general, your housing circumstances will be assessed on the basis of: 

• your household income 
• available housing: eg whether there are any vacancies at present or expected 
• suitable housing: eg whether you need ground floor, number of people
• your housing need: eg whether you are homeless, at risk, in a violent situation,  have health problems
• others on the waiting list

Housing associations have allocation policies and information available to you that will tell you how they make decisions about housing need. 

Contacting a housing association
Contact your local housing association and ask how you can join the waiting list.  Check out the Housing Associations Directory to find a housing association near you.  

Co-operative housing
You may also like to contact the Association to Resource Co-operative Housing (ARCH) for more information about new and existing co-ops.

Churches
Contact  NSW Churches Community Housing for more information about church based housing providers.

If you are an existing public housing tenant and wish to be considered for transfer to community housing you should contact your local Housing NSW office and register your interest in community housing.  

If you are unhappy about a decision:
You might want to complain or appeal against a decision made by your housing provider. See section “Not Satisfied?”

Check the website
Community housing and other parts of social housing are always changing and under review. Please check the website regularly to see if there have been changes and improved ways to make social housing available to you.