The process of applying to housing support through the State Government will be made easier with the launch of Housing Options today.
Housing Options is the Department of Communities' new registration system for public housing.
The new system will reduce barriers to accessing housing products and better advise people about the range, availability and affordability of housing assistance available to them.
Under the previous registration system, people seeking housing assistance were required to nominate what type of service or support they felt they required.
They also had to fill out a form for each service or support they wished to apply for, providing the same information multiple times.
Through Housing Options, people will provide a detailed snapshot about their specific circumstances during the registration process. This will allow for one integrated assessment, and to match the person to the most suitable housing support for their needs.
This may include public housing, community housing, bond assistance loans, private rental Aboriginal assistance loans and Keystart home loans.
The new process will streamline and integrate several separate application processes into one comprehensive assessment. People will no longer be required to know what support is available and will not have to provide the same information multiple times when seeking different types of assistance.
The process is designed to enable a more comprehensive housing assessment to support people in making informed decisions about the most suitable housing solution based on their circumstances at any given time.
Housing Options will enable the Department of Communities to identify clients who need priority assistance and will also provide valuable data and information about clients' requirements, providing a foundation for Communities to improve and/or expand housing assistance options and services.
The new Housing Options assessment can be completed at any Communities' housing office and will be available to complete online in 2022.
More information about the range of housing products can be found at http://www.communities.wa.gov.au/housingoptions
As stated by Housing Minister John Carey:
"Since stepping into the role of Minister for Housing, I have been looking at all opportunities to reform the way we deliver our social housing programs, and making the process easier for people trying to access housing supports is a key part of that.
"People seeking housing support are generally doing it pretty tough and I strongly support any measures that will make their lives easier.
"Housing Options will transform the way people apply for housing services and support, and provide better information about the available range of State Government housing assistance options.
"It is an integrated, one-stop assessment that provides people with personalised advice in relation to the most suitable housing assistance for their circumstances.
"Until now, people have had to self-select a housing assistance option based on their knowledge of what is available and then fill out a form for each product or service providing the same information on multiple occasions.
"Housing Options will determine a person's housing needs, with consideration to their income, assets, household structure, desired location, disability or medical condition, risks to safety and well-being as well as barriers to alternative housing.
"People will be provided with more information about housing assistance available so they can make informed decisions about what options and solutions best suit their needs."
