Responsibility: State and territory governments
Response:
ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC: Accept
SA, TAS, WA, NT: Accept in principle
Australian Capital Territory
Response: Accept
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
(a) The new application and assessment process for public housing applies a risk assessment framework and asks a series of yes/no or checkbox questions in plain English. The online form provides an easier way for applicants to articulate their circumstances including identifying any disability or support needs. The information collected is used to inform the allocation process when matching properties to applicants and all reasonable efforts will be made to only offer properties that meet these needs. Information on application, assessment and allocation processes can be found on the website and have been amended to reflect plain English, with links to other supports as required. There are also new online processes available to update applicants’ information as their needs change.
(b) Housing Allocation and reasonable offer policies and procedures are currently under review to ensure accessibility.
(c) Home Modification Policy, a Home Modification Guide, and forms to request a modification are currently under review to make more accessible. The modification guide will specify who is responsible for organising and funding modifications, standard timeframes and contact information.
Accept government response July 2024
The ACT Government currently considers disability and accessibility requirements in the allocation and eligibility processes for social housing.
New South Wales
Response: Accept
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
Homes NSW is continuing work to address the barriers that people with disability experience when applying for housing assistance as part of the new Homes for NSW Strategy which will be released in September June 2025. Stakeholders and advocates from across the disability sector contributed to a range of consultation activities as part of the development of the Strategy.
Homes NSW has reviewed its Alterations to a Home Policy and Supplement, to more clearly set out how people with a disability can apply for and fund alterations to their home.
Homes NSW reviewed and updated its Home Modifications (Disability) Policy and processes to make them more inclusive for people with a disability.
Further work continues to improve the accessibility of other social housing policies and processes.
NSW government response July 2024
Homes NSW is working to improve its social housing policy and processes to make them more accessible and inclusive for people with disability and anticipates they will be implemented in late 2024.
Northern Territory
Response: Accept in principle
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
The Northern Territory Government has implemented improvements to its Tenancy Management System to better identify priority applications on the social housing waitlist. This includes early identification of applications related to serious social or medical issues, including disability, homelessness, young people transitioning out of care and people experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence.
These changes align with the Priority Housing policy and procedural documents that have been developed to assist frontline staff to implement the new functionality.
NT government response July 2024
The Northern Territory Government has commissioned a review of the social housing waitlist, with a focus on better identification of priority applications relating to disability and domestic, family, and sexual violence. The Northern Territory undertakes regular reviews of its housing policies and amendments to further strengthen housing policies and procedures will be considered as part of this process.
Queensland
Response: Accept
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
The Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works are reviewing existing processes for assessing home modifications for social housing tenants. The review is exploring options and risks associated with home modification recommendations assessed by external professionals including through the National Disability Insurance Scheme, National Injury Insurance Scheme – Queensland.
The Department of Housing and Public Works will work with stakeholders with relevant expertise to co-design a review of communication materials and resources for people with disability. It is anticipated the co-design approach will be complete in 2025-26.
QLD government response July 2024
The Queensland Government will progress current work to ensure accessible and inclusive formats for application forms and published operational policies and procedures detailed in part a), b) and c) of Recommendation 7.36.
The Queensland Government will review and update home modifications guidelines to enhance processes to deliver home modifications, including working with National Disability Insurance Agency, National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland, My Aged Care and other service systems, to deliver disability modifications for public housing tenants. For social housing applicants and people considering offers of social housing, the Queensland Government will review and amend application processes to better understand whether an applicant has disability or accessibility needs and update information as circumstances change.
The Queensland Government will also review housing allocation and ‘reasonable offer’ policies and procedures to ensure these can be easily understood.
South Australia
Response: Accept in principle
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
The South Australian Housing Trust is on track to seek approval of its Public Housing Accessibility Reform Plan by June 2025. The Plan includes a series of actions to improve processes related to the allocation and modification of social housing for people with disability, aligned with recommendation 7.36.
The reform plan is proposed to be progressively implemented by the Trust over the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years.
SA government response July 2024
The South Australian government is undertaking a project to review the appropriateness and effectiveness of South Australia’s current housing services for people living with disability to support people living with disability to access fit for purpose and sustainable housing outcomes. This will include identification of opportunities to review the South Australian Housing Trust’s programs, operational policies and practices to improve access to secure and sustainable housing for those living with disability. The South Australian Housing Trust has established processes to ensure its policies, procedures and guidelines are periodically reviewed.
Tasmania
Response: Accept in principle
Status: Further work required
What has been achieved to date
Homes Tasmania will conduct a review of its social housing policy in 2025-26. This will include consultation on a revised social housing policy to ensure the prioritisation of social housing and collection of applicant information continues to prioritise contemporary housing need effectively and efficiently. Updated policies will replace those currently available online, including in accessible easy to read guides.
TAS government response July 2024
The Tasmanian Government accepts this recommendation in principle.
The Tasmanian Government recognises the importance of improving our policy development and accessibility for people with disability.
The Tasmanian Government currently identifies the disability needs of social housing applicants, and our social housing operational policies and processes are available online, including in accessible easy to read guides.
Victoria
Response: Accept
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
Victoria is reviewing the application process to ensure it is inclusive of the accessibility needs of people with disability. This includes improving how we identify whether applicants have a disability or accessibility need and addressing any barriers for people with disability in the application process.
Work has begun to review housing allocation and 'reasonable offer' policies and procedures and housing modification policies.
VIC government response July 2024
We accept this recommendation in full.
We are improving our operational policies and processes to make them more inclusive and accessible for people with disability.
We are also improving the experience of applying for and living in social housing for people with disability. We are doing this as part of our broader social housing reform initiatives.
Western Australia
Response: Accept in principle
Status: Further work required
What has been achieved to date
Part A and B are now complete.
Part C is dependent on a review of the Applied Principles and Tables of Support (APTOS), the framework governing the relationship between the NDIS and other service systems, or replacement of the APTOS as recommended by the Independent Review into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Review (2023).
WA government response July 2024
The WA Government accepts in principle this recommendation. Aspects of this recommendation, e.g., part A – has already been implemented, part B is in progress, and part C of the recommendation is already in place to the extent that this information is subject to differentiation of local housing markets.
Who is responsible for organising and funding housing modifications for NDIS participants is to be determined following a full replacement of the APTOS, as recommended through the NDIS Review. Full implementation is subject to the above and the conclusion of an operational review of policies and procedures currently underway.
What the Disability Royal Commission said in the final report
State and territory governments should develop and implement accessible and inclusive processes for allocating and modifying social housing for people with disability, including by:
a) reviewing and amending application processes to:
- identify whether applicants have a disability or accessibility needs, including those relating to communication, housing and access to community/support networks and services
- put processes in place to update this information as needs change
b) reviewing, amending and publishing (in accessible formats) housing allocation and ‘reasonable offer’ policies and procedures to ensure these can be easily understood and do not disadvantage people with disability seeking particular adjustments or modifications, or people who decline housing for accessibility reasons
c) reviewing, amending and publishing (in accessible formats) housing modification policies. The policies should clearly articulate who is responsible for organising and funding housing modifications, expected timeframes, and contacts for following up and raising concerns.
More recommendations
View progress on other recommendations made by the Royal Commission.