ELIGIBILITY RELATING TO PROPERTY OWNERSHIP AND OTHER RESIDENCES
POLICY

GUIDELINES & PRACTICES
New Zealand Residents
 11.6 New Zealand citizens will be entitled to public housing should they meet the normal eligibility criteria and that is they are a resident and are in receipt of income derived in Western Australia. (New Zealand pays Aged and Disability pensions to eligible persons who reside overseas eg British pension.
11.7 New Zealand citizens who arrive in Australia after February 2001 may have a Non Protected Visa, this Visa does not entitle them to any Centrelink benefits but they are still entitled to reside in Australia for an indefinite period. Protected Visa recipients are entitled to Centrelink benefits. “Certificate – Determination of Australian Residency” is no longer issued by Centrelink. Both Protected and Non Protected Visa holders are entitled to assistance subject to eligibility criteria being met.
12. Applicants wishing to accommodate migrants without Australian Citizenship or Permanent Residency status, will not be allocated property with bedrooms in excess of their entitlement to accommodate that person/s
12.1 Examples see 11.1
This is also applicable to tenants in occupation housing a person/s without Australian Citizenship or Permanent Residency status.
13. Applicants must not own or be part owner of property or land.
13.1 A Park Home will be a barrier to public rental housing, only if it is so determined by Regional Management that it is suitable accommodation. Factors in this consideration will be the construction and permanency of the home, the suitability of the location and the needs/age of the applicant.
14. Homeswest may permit continuing ownership or joint ownership of property or land for a period of time after application, where there are specific difficulties relating to immediate disposal. However, sale of the property must have been concluded at the time of the allocation of a property.
14.1 Examples :
Where an applicant is pursuing a property settlement through the Family Court.
Where Homeswest is building a property for a family which has a member with a disability.
Discretion can be exercised in all instances where there are specific difficulties in disposing of a property (See DISCRETIONARY DECISION MAKING POLICY).
Examples:
  • Where the sale will realise limited or negative personal equity to the applicant.
  • Where the asset owned is a single block of residential land of little value and the applicant has no prospect of building a home on it.
  • Where there is limited or no real estate market in the area concerned (e.g.. Some rural areas experiencing an economic downturn).


POLICY

GUIDELINES & PRACTICES

  • Where a property is owned for the purpose of a business income, discretion may be exercised in permitting the applicant to retain the property. Example: a service station.
  • Where a property has been purchased through a home ownership scheme administered by the Department of Housing and Works and the property is being taken back by the Department and the disposal date is outside their control assistance can be provided following confirmation of the action by the Home Ownership section.
15. Applicants residing in government funded accommodation (e.g. Aboriginal Corporation, Community Housing etc) may be eligible for Homeswest accommodation, while occupying the government funded property.
15.1 Tenants of community funded housing on Aboriginal Communities or country towns may apply for Homeswest assistance and remain in the Community property until Homeswest can provide assistance in circumstances where:
  • The current community property is inadequate for the tenants needs (eg medical condition which is being caused or aggravated by the existing accommodation)
  • The tenant/s has a medical condition urgently requiring treatment not available in the area where the tenant currently resides. (Medical documentation/evidence must be supplied to support this).
  • The tenant needs to relocate for personal or family safety reasons e.g. as a result of domestic violence, child abuse, family feuding
  • The tenant has obtained employment in another town (documentation/evidence must be supplied to support this). Please note this is subject to income eligibility.

15.2 Accommodation in Aboriginal Communities and Community Housing properties in major rural towns and the metropolitan area are either Homeswest or ASTIC funded and as such, tenants in these properties are already public housing tenants.