Those seeking emergency accommodation in New South Wales will now have greater access and a higher asset threshold to qualify, the Minns Government announced. Source: Yahoo News.
The number of days’ stay on offer has been raised to a week, up from two days, while people’s housing needs are assessed.
The temporary accommodation asset cap will also be raised from $1000 to $5000 and be removed altogether for those fleeing domestic or family violence.
Premier Chris Minns said everyone in NSW should have access to safe and secure housing.
“I don’t want to see a situation where a woman fleeing domestic and family violence has to pick up and leave every two days,” he said.
“This is an important change for people in some of the most vulnerable situations.”
Joanna Quilty, head of peak body the NSW Council of Social Services, said five days was obviously better than two and welcomed removing barriers to temporary accommodation, particularly for women fleeing violence.
“But when temporary accommodation itself is in short supply, not to mention the desperate lack of affordable rentals and a chronic under-supply of social housing, clearly a whole suite of measures is required to tackle this insidious crisis,” she said.
Skyrocketing rents across Sydney and most of Australia are expected to push more people into housing stress and potentially force them into living situations such as a vehicle or a friend’s couch.
Newly appointed NSW Rental Commissioner Trina Jones on Tuesday said she would advocate for more social housing but stopped short of committing to a rental freeze, which has been strongly advocated by the Greens.
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Greater access to accommodation for DV victims in NSW (By Duncan Murray, AAP via Yahoo News)
