PolicyHousing Assessment Prioritisation SystemSDMS ID Number P15/000357SDMS Title Housing Assessment Prioritisation System – Policy – P15/000357Effective From 15 June 2015Applies to People seeking housing assistance through Housing Connect.Custodian Director Housing ProgramsSummary This policy outlines the Housing Assessment Prioritisation

System that was implemented in June 2015.Replaces Doc. No. n/aAuthor Area Housing ProgramsContact Principal Housing Advisor, Housing ProgramsReview Date June 2018

Policy Intent The policy objective of the Housing Assessment Prioritisation System (HAPS) is to identify the level of seriousness and urgency of peoples’ need for housing assistance.

Application This policy applies to all Tasmanians seeking housing assistance through Housing Connect.This includes Housing Tasmania tenants needing a transfer from their current Housing Tasmania home and Better Housing Futures tenants who need to transfer to another home outside the portfolio area of their Better Housing Futures housing provider.

Background In June 2015, Housing Tasmania changed the way people are assessed for housing need through Housing Connect.The changes are part of the wider social housing reform in Tasmania. As part of the Tasmanian reform, it has been recognised that prioritisation of certain housing and support needs was not addressed well in the old Housing Assessment System (HAS) policy and a new policy was required.Housing Connect is a key element of reforming the social housing system. Through Housing Connect all peoples’ housing and support needs can be identified in a single assessment. HAPS supports the implementation of Housing Connect in enabling an integrated assessment of housing and support needs.

Housing Connect Through the Housing Connect assessment service the housing needs of clients and options that are best for them can be identified and discussed. This includes public housing, other social housing options, private rental support, supported and emergency accommodation.Housing Connect also identifies and coordinates support through referring people to the support services they need.

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The Housing Assessment Prioritisation System (HAPS)

The new HAPS considers attributes, or circumstances. It uses a set of simple definitions that describe the levels of housing need. It will allow better targeting to people with the greatest level of need.The HAPS is based on attributes of peoples’ housing need.This means that all applicants are assessed in relation to:

Affordability Homelessness Safety Health and mobility issues

Affordability is about how much rent an applicant and their household pays compared to the household income.

Homelessness is about where an applicant is living. For example whether they are homeless, couch surfing, live in short term accommodation, live somewhere that is not safe and healthy, exiting short term, emergency or institutional accommodation.

Safety is about the applicant and their family being safe from the harm of other people and children exposed to abuse and neglect.

Health and mobility is about physical and mental health. Examples include whether someone can walk around without help or aids and can get to where they need to be without problems, or can cope with daily life, or live with a disability.

The Shared Social and Affordable Housing Register (Housing Register)

Applicants are assessed using the above attributes. If they have a housing need, the application is placed into either General or Priority on the Housing Register

Applications in Priority have been assessed as having an urgent housing need. This includes people who have nowhere stable to live, people escaping family violence and people with serious and ongoing health and mobility issues.

Applicants in Priority are usually housed first.

Applications in General have been assessed as having a Page 3 of 6

housing need, but it is assessed as being not as urgent as applications in Priority.On the Housing Register, applicants are arranged within Priority and General according to the application wait time, from the date the application was assessed.The Housing Register and assessment process makes sure that people with the highest housing need are helped first.

Health and mobility issues for applicants

If an applicant has health and mobility issues, a relevant health professional must complete the Health Assessment Report. The report is only available at the time of assessment with Housing Connect.The report focuses on the current physical and mental health needs of the person and what sort of housing they need. This makes sure housing providers have the right information to make suitable offers when they shortlist.The information provided by the health professional will help to determine if an applicant is Priority or General by classifying their health and mobility issue as either Grade A or B. The information will help Housing Connect work out the severity and seriousness of the applicant’s health and mobility issues.

Grade A conditions must be: long term and considered of high seriousness, or permanent and considered of high seriousness, or permanent and considered of medium seriousness

Grade B conditions must be: permanent with low seriousness, or long term with medium seriousness, or medium term with high seriousness

The grading will depend on the assessment by the health professional.Not all applicants will receive a Grade A or Grade B health

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and mobility result. This will depend on the assessment completed by the health professional.

Housing Tasmania eligibility

For people to access Housing Tasmania homes, they must still be eligible for public housing. People apply for a Housing Tasmania home through Housing Connect.

Applicants must be: 16 years or older on a low income have no property or land be an Australian citizen or permanent resident living in

Tasmania have assets worth less than $35,000

Housing Connect can be contacted on 1800 800 588.

Transfers Housing Tasmania will firstly complete a check for transfer need and eligibility for tenants asking for a transfer.If eligible, they will then be assessed for their housing need. Housing Connect will explore all the housing options available so the tenant can make the best decision that suits their needs.While Housing Tasmania can confirm eligibility for transfer, the determination of housing need is undertaken by Housing Connect. If the minimum level of housing need is not reached (General) their application will not be placed on the Housing Register.Better Housing Futures tenants that wish to transfer should talk to the organisation managing their tenancy before contacting Housing Connect for an assessment for housing need. As above, the minimum level of housing need (General) will need to be reached before their application can be placed on the Housing Register.

Exceptions Senior Managers have discretion to vary this policy to better respond to individual tenant needs where a compelling case has been put. Where discretion is applied all decisions must be documented and copies placed on the relevant files.

Legal Framework This Policy adheres to the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 where relevant.

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Exemptions n/a

Responsibilities/ Delegations

All Tenancy Services staff members are responsible for ensuring the appropriate application of the policy. Area Managers are responsible for Area management including policy application.

Disclaimer This is a statewide policy and must not be re-interpreted so that subordinate policies exist. Should discrete operational differences exist, these should be expressed in the form of an operating procedure or protocol, that must be approved at the same level as this policy.

Audit and Compliance

Failure to comply with this policy, without providing a good reason for doing so, may lead to disciplinary action.Compliance with this policy is monitored by Housing Tasmania and Housing Connect.

Procedures and Forms

Health and Housing Needs Confirmation form (only available at time of assessment).

Related Policies n/aPolicy Title and Version Housing Assessment Prioritisation SystemEffective Date 15 June 2015Review Date June 2018Document Number P15/000357Replaces Document Number

n/a

Custodian Housing Programs, Housing Disability and Community ServicesApproved by Director Housing Programs

This Policy may be varied, withdrawn or replaced at any time. Compliance with this directive is mandatory for the Department of Health and Human Services. Please Destroy Printed Copies. The electronic version of this Policy is the approved and current version and is located on the Agency’s intranet. Any printed version is uncontrolled and therefore not current.

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