POLICY STATEMENT

I. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide for tenancy reinstatement in circumstances where a former tenant was justified in vacating their property.

II. Definitions

A former tenant is a tenant previously occupying social housing property managed by Southern Cross Housing (SCH).

III. Coverage

This policy applies to all social housing properties managed by SCH.

IV. Principles

A former tenant is eligible to apply for tenancy reinstatement if they vacated their property because:

• They were under duress (ie, as a result of a critical incident or risk of harm),
• They had to move into a residential care facility, either voluntarily or under a court order (ie, a psychiatric hospital, rehabilitation centre, hostel or nursing home),
• They were hospitalised for an extended period, or
• Of the care needs of the tenant, a member of their household or a family member.

To be considered for tenancy reinstatement, former tenants must prove that:

• They meet the eligibility criteria for social housing, and
• They meet the criteria for priority transfer, and
• They vacated their former property for an eligible reason, and
• They made an application for social housing within six months of vacating the former property.

The decision on whether to approve an application for tenancy reinstatement is at the discretion of SCH.

V. Responsibilities

Regional Managers are responsible for assessing applications for tenancy reinstatement and making a recommendation to the General Manager, Operations for approval.