❓ Hon. Kate Doust questions the inclusion of Commonwealth allowances in Housing Authority tenants' income assessments for rent, contrasting it with ATO practices. The Minister defends the policy as aligning with a 25% rent-to-income target and ensuring fairness across the housing sector.
AnsweredQoN 3Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
HOUSING AUTHORITY TENANTS — INCOME ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT
3. Hon KATE DOUST to the Minister for
Housing:
I refer to the proposed changes to the income eligibility assessment for
Housing Authority tenants. Why does the minister think it is acceptable to
include commonwealth allowances and benefits in a tenant's income
assessment for the purpose of rent, when these same benefits are not seen as
income by the Australian Taxation Office?
3. Hon KATE DOUST to the Minister for
Housing:
I refer to the proposed changes to the income eligibility assessment for
Housing Authority tenants. Why does the minister think it is acceptable to
include commonwealth allowances and benefits in a tenant's income
assessment for the purpose of rent, when these same benefits are not seen as
income by the Australian Taxation Office?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
In 2009 the social housing task force suggested that 25 per cent of household
income should be spent on rent, in a social housing context. We are moving
towards that. Every person who comes into social housing now has that same
expectation, and we are moving across the board to deliver the same sort of
outcome to the people who live in social housing now. People who live outside
social housing get the same allowances from the federal government, or the
state government, and have to pay much more than 25 per cent of their income in
rent. This is about taking a consistent approach across the public housing and
social housing sector to meet the needs of the Housing Authority to deliver
more housing into the sector, so that those people outside of the social
housing sector get the help that we can provide to them.
Hon Sue Ellery : Will this reduce your waiting list? I look
forward to that.
Hon COL HOLT : The government has already proposed a $560
million social housing investment package.
Hon Sue Ellery : What are your waitlists?
Hon COL HOLT : That is what it is about. It is about
doing more so that we can help more people in need. The $560 million social
housing investment package will halve the waiting list for families and
seniors, so that they do not have the rent stress that others outside of the
public housing waiting system have.
In 2009 the social housing task force suggested that 25 per cent of household
income should be spent on rent, in a social housing context. We are moving
towards that. Every person who comes into social housing now has that same
expectation, and we are moving across the board to deliver the same sort of
outcome to the people who live in social housing now. People who live outside
social housing get the same allowances from the federal government, or the
state government, and have to pay much more than 25 per cent of their income in
rent. This is about taking a consistent approach across the public housing and
social housing sector to meet the needs of the Housing Authority to deliver
more housing into the sector, so that those people outside of the social
housing sector get the help that we can provide to them.
Hon Sue Ellery : Will this reduce your waiting list? I look
forward to that.
Hon COL HOLT : The government has already proposed a $560
million social housing investment package.
Hon Sue Ellery : What are your waitlists?
Hon COL HOLT : That is what it is about. It is about
doing more so that we can help more people in need. The $560 million social
housing investment package will halve the waiting list for families and
seniors, so that they do not have the rent stress that others outside of the
public housing waiting system have.
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