Transitional housing funded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development funds transitional housing providers. They provide temporary accommodation and support for clients and their immediate family.

Transitional housing is available to clients who:

• cannot stay in their usual place of residence and
• have no access to other adequate accommodation

Transitional housing providers provide temporary accommodation while they support clients to access longer-term housing such as renting, flatting, boarding or social housing. Transitional housing is intended to provide accommodation for up to 12 weeks but can be for longer. 

Transitional housing providers may cater for specific groups of people (for example, single adults or sole parent families).

Clients in transitional housing must pay a contribution towards their transitional housing costs. The contribution is calculated by the transitional housing provider and is generally 25% of the client’s income and their partner’s (if any) income.

A client may approach a transitional housing provider directly. They can also be referred to a provider by:

• MSD or
• another social services agency

Before referring a client to a transitional housing provider MSD needs to confirm they meet the following qualifications, based on the relevant Emergency Housing Grant qualifications.

• have an immediate emergency housing need (including that they do not have access to other accommodation adequate for their needs in the short-term) and
• meet an income and cash asset test (unless there are exceptional circumstances) and
• meet the residence criteria

Note MSD cannot refer a client to transitional housing when the client is on a 13 week non-entitlement period for emergency housing.

The provider will complete an assessment with the client to check if the provider’s service is suitable for the client and their immediate family.

If the client has access to a transitional housing place adequate for their needs and unreasonably refuses to access it, they will not qualify for an Emergency Housing Grant as they do not have an immediate emergency housing need.

The transitional housing provider will tell MSD whether the client:

• has accepted or declined an offer or
• has not been made an offer after being referred 

The client may qualify for an Emergency Housing Grant if:

• there are no suitable transitional housing providers available or
• there are no suitable vacancies in transitional housing

Transitional housing providers usually require a security deposit before clients can move in.

If a security deposit is required, MSD must:

• approve the initial Security Deposit Grant before the client moves in and
• ensure the client agrees to the amount approved and understands what the security deposit is for

A new Security Deposit Grant can be made after the client has moved into the accommodation when:

• MSD is satisfied a new grant is required and
• it is appropriate to approve a new Security Deposit Grant

A security deposit is paid as security against loss or damage (such as intentional or unintentional damage to the provider’s property).

A Security Deposit Grant will only be paid to the transitional housing provider if they make a claim for loss or damage covered by the security deposit and the client agrees to the claim or has failed to follow the provider’s check out process.

The amount of security deposit paid must only be for the actual amount required to cover the costs. It cannot be more than the security deposit amount originally approved.

The transitional housing provider must contact MSD to get this payment. The amount paid to the provider is always recoverable from the client.

Note the emergency housing supplier and transitional housing provider has up to 3 months to make a claim under a Security Deposit Grant. The 3 months start from the day after the client ends their stay in emergency or transitional housing.