Calculating the emergency housing contribution for overlapping grants
There may be situations when a client needs to leave their emergency housing accommodation before the end of their grant period. This may be outside of the client's control, or it may have been caused by the client.
If the client still needs emergency housing accommodation after they move out, there may be an overlapping period of nights covered by 2 separate grants. In this situation, the client does not pay another contribution for the overlapping nights.
Only 1 contribution is to be paid per night. This applies regardless of the reason for the overlapping grants.
Example 1 - Client moves accommodation due to flooding
A client is granted an Emergency Housing Grant of $2,000 for 14 nights (from 1 to 14 April) at Blue Motel. They will pay a contribution of $70 a week, or $140 total.
However, on 8 April, the client needs to move out unexpectedly, due to flooding after a plumbing fault (outside of their control). The client is approved a further Emergency Housing Grant of $1,100 for 7 nights at Orange Motel from 8 April to 14 April.
The client now has two grants covering an overlapping period from 8 April to 14 April.
In this situation, the client already has a contribution applied for the period 8 to 14 April from their grant for the Blue Motel.
The client does not have to pay another contribution for the same nights covered by their grant for Orange Motel.
Example 2 - Client moves accommodation due to safety reasons
A client is granted an Emergency Housing Grant for 13 nights from 15 to 28 June.
On 26 June the client needs to move motels for safety reasons. MSD grants a further emergency housing grant for 7 nights, with a check out date of 3 July.
The client already has a contribution in place for 26 and 27 June for their previous Emergency Housing Grant. For the new grant, MSD only needs to add a contribution for 5 nights from 28 June until 3 July.
Example 3 - Client moves accommodation due to intentional damage - overlapping grant is recoverable
A client is granted an Emergency Housing Grant for 7 nights from 15 to 22 June.
However, on 18 June the motelier asks them to leave after causing intentional damage to their motel room. The client has a substance addiction, which appears to have contributed to the situation in which the damage occurred.
The client applies for a further Emergency Housing Grant on the day they move out.
MSD may consider whether the client has caused or contributed to their immediate emergency housing need, and whether their application should be declined.
If MSD decides to grant a further Emergency Housing Grant, the client only needs to pay a contribution for nights covered by the new grant from 22 June.
