Page 685 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 12 April 1994

MINISTER FOR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTION

QUESTION NO. 1173

Housing Trust - Waiting List

MR. CORNWELL - Asked the Minister for Housing and Community Services -

(1) Is the Prime Television News (7 February 1994) claim that almost

50% of the 1993 ACT Housing Trust waiting list was made up of

people aged under 25, substantiated by the Trust.

(2) If so, what criteria is employed to wait list or allocate

accommodation to such people, eg, is the fact they have a parental

home in the ACT taken into account; if not, why not.

(3) Do interstate applicants under 25 years have to wait 12 months

before accommodation is provided; if not, why not.

(4) What proportion of the people in (1) are tertiary students.

(5) Are tertiary students entitled to rental rebate.

MR. CONNOLLY - The answer to the Members question is as follows:

(1) As at 8 February 1994, 2794 new housing applications from single

people under the age of 25 years were recorded on the Housing

Trusts waiting list. This represented 44.39 % of the total number of

persons registered for housing with the ACT Housing Trust.

(2) Persons under the age of 25 years are required to meet the housing

eligibility criteria as set out in the Public Rental Housing Assistance

Program. The existence of a parental home in the ACT is not part

of the criteria.

(3) Persons from interstate may register for public housing as soon as

they take up residence or employment in the ACT. They will then

be offered accommodation when their name reaches the top of the

waiting list. Priority assistance is not ordinarily available until

they have lived or worked in the ACT for at least 6 months.

(4) This information is not available.

(5) Housing Trust tenants are entitled to apply for a rental rebate. The

rental rebate is assessed on the applicants gross income.

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