Keeping your housing assistance application active

As an approved applicant for social housing, your name will be on a waiting list called the NSW Housing Register.

Homes NSW, on behalf of all Housing Pathways providers, will contact you every 12 months to make sure your contact details are correct and to ask if you wish to receive offers of social housing.

To contact you, we will usually send you some questions on a reply paid postcard for you to answer and return to us. However, if you have provided your mobile phone number or an email address, we may SMS or email you.

Homes NSW contacts all applicants whether they applied for housing assistance through us or a participating community housing provider. If we do not hear from you, we will close your application.

It is up to you to make sure your housing provider has your current contact details. This means if you move or get a new phone number you will need to notify your housing provider as soon as possible, in the same way as you do with your bank, Centrelink or other organisations you regularly deal with.

Other contact

At other times, you may be formally contacted and asked to provide further information to assist with your application. DCJ Housing or a participating community housing provider may send you a letter, SMS and/or email or phone you. In this instance, it is also up to you to respond when we contact you by the date required.

If you do not respond when we contact you about your application, your application will be closed. This means you will be removed from the NSW Housing Register and will no longer receive offers of social housing.

What do I do if my application is closed?

You will need to contact Homes NSW or your community housing provider as soon as possible.

If your application is closed and you still wish to be considered for social housing, you will need to start the application process again. This means your waiting time starts again and the time you have waited before will not count.

There are some situations where Homes NSW or your community housing provider may agree to reopen your closed application. In these cases, we will restart your waiting time from the registration date of the closed application. For more information about the criteria for reopening an application, please refer to the Managing the NSW Housing Register policy.

What is the quickest way to update my details?

The easiest and quickest way to update your contact details via the MyHousing app, MyHousing Account and Information or through the Housing Eligibility Review form online.

You may also phone the Housing Contact Centre or visit a local Homes NSW office or participating community housing provider to update your details.

I am renting and my address changes frequently. Do I need to tell Homes NSW or a community housing provider every time my address changes?

Yes, we need to know your correct address so that we can contact you. You should also let us know of any change in your circumstances as soon as possible. These may include a change:

• of address, phone number or email
• in the number of people in your household
• in your household’s income or assets.

You must contact your local social housing provider as soon as possible if your circumstances change.

Can I make a family member or a support provider my contact address?

Yes, but you will need to ensure that they are able to contact you if your housing provider requires any further information about your application.

If you would like Homes NSW or a community housing provider to be able to contact your family member or service provider to discuss your application, you will need to complete either a General consent to exchange information and authority to act on a client’s behalf form, or a Consent to exchange information between a social housing provider and support worker form.

What do I do if my application has been closed and I disagree with the decision?

If you disagree with a decision Homes NSW or a participating community housing provider has made, you should first discuss your concerns with a staff member from the provider that made the decision. If you still believe the social housing provider has made the wrong decision, the next step is to ask for a formal review.

For information on how Homes NSW reviews work, see Appeals and reviewing decisions, or read the Client Service Delivery and Appeals Policy. This policy applies to public and Aboriginal housing. Individual participating community housing providers have their own appeal policies.

If you disagree with a decision made by a community housing provider, you should request information directly from that provider. The provider who made the decision will manage the review or appeal.