What is Housing Assistance?
Link Housing offers a range of Housing Assistance services to people who are, or are at risk of becoming, homeless or need help to rent in the private rental market.
Most of these services are offered through the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and can be applied for through Housing Pathways.
Link Housing’s Access and Demand team can help you apply for these programs and maintain your tenancy. Please read about the programs below or contact our Access and Demand team on 9412 5111.
If you are a landlord or real estate agent and you would like to see how you can partner with us, please read our fact sheet.
Homelessness and temporary accommodation
For those who need urgent housing, we recommend calling the homeless services helpline ‘Link2Home’ on 1800 152 152 or Link Housing on 9412 5111.
We can help by giving advice and referring you to specialist homelessness services to help you find temporary accommodation, and in some cases, a more permanent option.
As part of the NSW Government’s Together Home program launched in July 2020, we also work with a network of partners to provide long-term and stable housing and support to formerly homeless clients. Read more.
Domestic and family violence – Start Safely
Link Housing is committed to helping victims of domestic and family violence find refuge. Rent Choice Start Safely is a rental assistance program that provides rent support to those who have already left or need to leave an unsafe home due to family or domestic violence.
To be eligible to receive a Rent Choice Start Safely, you should be escaping domestic or family violence and:
● Eligible for social housing
● Homeless or at risk of homelessness
● Willing to receive support services where relevant.
View our Start Safely Fact Sheet for more information.
Private Rental Assistance
The Private Rental Subsidy is a rental assistance program that provides rent support to assist clients in accessing affordable accommodation in the private rental market, while they wait for suitable social housing to become available.
To be eligible for the Subsidy clients must meet set criteria, including:
● being approved for priority status on the NSW Housing Register
● having a recognised disability or medical condition
● being at risk in their current accommodation, which is not suitable for them to reside in while they wait for social housing.
View our Private Rental Subsidy Fact Sheet for more information.
Bond Extra
This is an NSW Government program to encourage private sector landlords and agents to rent properties to people who may experience difficulty entering the private rental market – even though they have the income and skills to sustain a successful tenancy.
For more details please visit the DCJ website.
Rentstart Bond Loans
Under Rentstart, DCJ may be able to assist you with a loan of up to 100% of your rental bond to establish a tenancy in the private market. The loan is interest free and repayable to DCJ.
Other products like Advance Rent may also be offered where a Bond Loan is not applicable.