How to apply for community housing

If you’ve found it difficult to afford your rent, or even find a rental home to live in this past year, you’re not alone.

In fact, in 2021, the average rental price in South Australia increased by 7.2 per cent, causing a rental housing crisis.

Recent reports have found the median rent for a two-bedroom unit in the cheapest Adelaide suburbs was $300 a week, which is 76 per cent of a single jobseeker’s income.

If this sounds familiar, you might be wondering if you’re eligible for community housing, and how to apply for community housing. Believe Housing Australia provides social housing and community housing for people in need, and can help.

These are the steps you’ll need to take if you’re interested in applying for community housing.

Step 1: Work out whether you’re eligible 

In South Australia, you can register your interest in community housing if you:

• live in South Australia
• don’t own or partly own residential property; and
• have an independent income.

Your household income must be less than or equal to the income and asset limits (unless you have special circumstances). There may be more conditions if you are registering for community housing, which you can review on the Housing SA website. 

Step 2: Register for housing 

To apply for community housing, you need to register with Housing Connect.

Housing Connect is Housing SA’s online portal, and is a secure way to access housing services online. Aside from registering your interest in housing, you can also view and update your registration of interest in housing when your circumstances change.

What do I need to register?

To register with Housing Connect, you will need to provide proof of income and identity for everyone in your household who is aged 16 and over.

You need to know the areas that you’d be interested in, which you can review on Housing SA’s metropolitan area map or the country area map.

You may also need to provide details, and proof, of any special circumstances that are related to you. For example, if you have a disability, or are Aboriginal.

Who can I speak to if I need help? 

If you’d like to learn more about applying for community housing or your housing options with Believe Housing Australia, you can contact us by calling 1800 688 000 or completing this online form.

If you need help understanding any information on Housing SA programs or services, Housing SA can arrange an interpreter at no cost. Call 131 299 to learn more about this service.