New emergency housing events
There are a number of situations when we would consider that the client has a new emergency housing event.
A client will be considered to have a new emergency housing event when:
- the client has not been paid an Emergency Housing Grant before or
- the client's last Emergency Housing Grant was paid at least 52 weeks ago or
- the clients last Emergency Housing Grant was less than 52 weeks ago and
- MSD determined that emergency housing event was resolved by the client moving into medium or long-term accommodation that was expected to lead to or be sustainable housing
Client has never been paid an Emergency Housing Grant
When a client applies for an Emergency Housing Grant and has not received one before, their emergency housing event is new. The client will not be required to meet the emergency housing responsibilities for their first 7 nights in emergency housing.
Last Emergency Housing Grant was at least 52 weeks ago
If the current emergency housing event takes place 52 weeks or more since the last night of the clients Emergency Housing Grant, it is a new emergency housing event.
Last Emergency Housing Grant was less than 52-weeks
A client may still have a new emergency housing event within the same 52 week period as their previous emergency housing event.
When deciding whether or not the client has a new emergency housing event within a 52-week period, MSD needs to consider:
- whether the client's earlier emergency housing event was 'resolved' by the client moving into medium to long-term accommodation that was expected to lead to or be sustainable housing and
- the reason for the client's current emergency housing event
Example - Applying for a further Emergency Housing Grant after a period away from emergency housing, within 52 week period
Client qualifies for and gets Emergency Housing Grants for 4 weeks in total.
Then they are placed in a private rental. 6 months later, the clients landlord sells the property and terminates the clients tenancy agreement.
The client cannot find other accommodation and applies for an Emergency Housing Grant.
This is a new event.
The clients previous emergency housing event was resolved when they moved into medium or long-term accommodation that was expected to be sustainable housing (a private rental).
No emergency housing responsibilities are required to be met for the first 7 nights.
Client in emergency housing for family violence
A client's immediate need for emergency housing may have arisen because they had to leave their home due to family violence.
The client may not be able to stay in their home because they are:
- escaping from family violence or
- the perpetrator of family violence and cannot return home for safety or legal reasons (e.g. there is a protection order that prevents their return)
Clients who get an Emergency Housing Grant due to family violence may subsequently return to their home.
If the client applies again for emergency housing within 52 weeks of their previous grant because they had to leave their home again due to family violence, MSD will treat this as a new event.
Assistance for the client
Discuss the situation with your local Family Violence Response Coordinator if a client has been, or is likely to be:
- harmed (physically, emotionally, or sexually)
- ill-treated
- abused
- neglected or
- deprived
Further information about the help that can be offered to victims of family violence is provided here:
