Housing SA provides financial assistance into hotels or motels for people who need emergency accommodation. Assistance is of a temporary or bridging nature.
Housing SA may also provide assistance into caravan parks in country areas, if hotel or motel accommodation isn’t available.
This policy sets out:
- who’s eligible for emergency accommodation
- the amount of assistance Housing SA will provide
Eligibility
People are eligible for assistance into emergency accommodation if they meet all the below conditions:
- they’re homeless and unable to return to their usual address due to domestic abuse, severe family or household breakdown, or natural disaster
- they can’t access alternative housing options, for example shelter, boarding house, staying with friends or relatives
- they live in South Australia at the time assistance is sought
- they meet the income and asset limits for the Private Rental Assistance Program, except if they’re experiencing temporary financial hardship
- their health and safety is assessed as being at risk if they don’t receive assistance into emergency accommodation
- they don’t have a debt to Housing SA, or they make and keep an arrangement to repay a debt to Housing SA
Amount of assistance
Up to 3 nights’ emergency accommodation will be provided. Assistance is for the rental component only, and not for any other charges that may apply.
Assistance won’t exceed 6 nights in total in any given 12 month period except if it’s approved by an Operations Manager and endorsed by a Regional Manager.
Assistance is provided on the condition that the customer:
- engages with support provided by Specialist Homelessness Services and Housing SA
- provides all the information required, for example proof of income, identity
Housing SA won’t provide further emergency accommodation assistance if the customer’s responsible for damage, theft or disruption while they stay in the emergency accommodation.
If the customer’s in emergency accommodation for an extended period, they may be responsible for paying for some of the nights.
Related information
Supporting guideline
- Emergency accommodation immediate response guideline v2
Related policies and other documents
Date this policy applies from
14 April 2020
Version number
3
The online version of the policy is the approved and current version. There’s no guarantee any printed copies are current.
