Examples of other adequate accommodation

When considering if the client, their partner and dependent children (if any) have access to other adequate accommodation, consider whether the place they have to stay is adequate for the short-term.

What is adequate depends on the circumstances of the client, their partner and dependent children (if any) and needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Examples of accommodation adequate in the short-term

Examples of when a client is considered to have access to adequate accommodation include, but are not limited to:

a single person who has been offered a friend's couch to sleep on while finding alternative arrangements (when the client has no other needs that would make this inadequate this e.g. health, disability, or social needs)
they could stay with family or friends who have a spare bedroom/s (appropriate to their family size)
a single person or couple without children can stay in a tourist cabin
a single person or couple living at a caravan park with shared kitchen and shower facilities with no other reasons that this arrangement is unsuitable
caravan park or camping ground when the facilities meet the client, their partner or dependent children (if any) needs

Examples of accommodation not adequate in the short-term

Examples of when a client is not considered to have access to adequate accommodation include, but are not limited to:

family with children staying at a friend's house where the option is not adequate for the family needs, even in the short-term (e.g. children must sleep on the floor)
only place to stay is a vehicle, sleeping on the street, or in a tent
has a place to stay but they are the perpetrator of family violence and cannot remain at the property
has left a place due to family violence and cannot return while the perpetrator is still there
the only place available to stay is an unsafe environment (e.g. drugs, violence, and other crime)
an elderly person is staying in a caravan park in winter and shares a kitchen and they have to walk to the shower and toilet block. This would impact on their health due to the cold and not having easy access to facilities
the place to stay will impact on the client's health needs (e.g. too far away from a hospital where they are having treatment for cancer or dialysis)
a family with young children in a caravan park and the facilities do not meet their needs (e.g. distance to amenities, risk to children's safety by other users, risk to health due to the cold)

It is important to record the factors considered when making a decision.

Note transitional housing is an example of accommodation that may be adequate in the short-term, however it should only be considered once it has been determined the client has an immediate emergency housing need.