Engage with support services

To qualify for an Emergency Housing Grant, clients must agree to, and meet the emergency housing responsibilities. This includes engaging with support services (if MSD has referred the client to a support service, or MSD is satisfied with a self- or third-party referral).

To meet this responsibility, clients must engage with support service they have been referred to. A support service is any government-funded or community-based service intended to support the client’s underlying needs.

The emergency housing responsibilities apply from client's 8th night in emergency housing.

Agreed activities are steps or actions a client must take to meet their emergency housing responsibilities.

Clients must understand and agree to meet the responsibilities including any activities set by MSD.

MSD can discuss and set agreed activities to help the client meet engaging with support services responsibility.

In some cases, MSD may not need to refer a client to a support service.

For example:

A client in emergency housing may have signed a tenancy agreement for a new property but has nowhere to stay until the tenancy begins. MSD may determine they do not need to be referred to a support service during this time.

MSD may require a client to provide supporting evidence to determine if they have met their emergency housing responsibilities.

If supporting evidence is required and the client refuses to provide it, MSD may determine whether or not the client has met their responsibilities on the information available.

If MSD determines the responsibilities have not been met and there is no good and sufficient reason, the client will receive a warning.

Clients must meet the emergency housing responsibilities during their stay in emergency housing. This includes completing any agreed activities set by MSD for an Emergency Housing Grant, by the date determined by MSD.

This date will be no later than the client’s next scheduled appointment to apply for a further Emergency Housing Grant.

The client will be considered not to be engaging with a support service when they:

• are referred or assigned to a support service but the service cannot make contact with the client (despite at least three attempts), or
• have met with the support service but have not agreed to the steps/plan they have put in place, or
• have not taken reasonable action on the plan

If the client does not have a good and sufficient reason for not engaging with a support service when a referral has been made, this will result in a warning.