Wesley Mission Victoria’s Private Rental Assistance Program assists individuals and families who are vulnerable or at risk of being evicted from a rental property due to personal or financial crisis. We offer practical, tailored, one-off services to help people stay in secure and affordable private rental.
Who’s eligible?
We can help people who:
- can sustain affordable and appropriate housing in the private rental market but require assistance with the transition from crisis, transitional or social housing
- are at risk of losing their current tenancy due to personal crisis, short-term financial crisis, rent arrears or tenancy dispute
- are seeking assistance to access or maintain shared tenancies.
Unlike many other programs, families and individuals don’t have to be receiving Centrelink or other assistance to be eligible.
How we can help?
- assistance with rent in advance or arrears
- short-term rental subsidies
- alleviation of debts or one-off financial assistance in times of crisis
- assistance with costs associated with accessing private rental ie storage, transport, rental inspections, clothing for interviews with real estate agents and landlords, or payment of bond
- assistance with costs associated with establishing a new tenancy, ie furniture, appliances, removalist costs or utility connection
- life skills training to learn budgeting, bill payments, house maintenance, tenant responsibilities and rights.
Referral and assessment
Each potential household will be assessed individually, however a key criteria is the person or family’s ability to sustain appropriate and affordable housing in the private rental market. It is essential that agencies accessing this program on behalf of clients already in rental accommodation have a detailed financial assessment prior to referral.
Priority assistance will be given to people who are in one or more of the following categories:
- presenting at homelessness assessment locations with a recent private rental history
- living in marginal private rental housing such as rooming houses or caravan parks
- on the Victorian Housing Register
- living in social housing or transitional housing.
Please contact us to discuss client eligibility prior to referral.
Private Rental Assistance Program
Wesley Homelessness and Support Services
291A Maroondah Highway, Ringwood
P 8870 4000