Australian Capital Territory
Housing Assistance Public rental Housing Assistance Program 2008 (No 1)
Disallowable instrument DI2008-112
made under the  
Housing Assistance Act, 2007, s 19 (1) (housing assistance programs)

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Housing assistance programs reflect the policy framework for the provision of housing assistance in the ACT. 

The Housing Assistance Act 2007 (the Act) provides for the Minister to approve housing assistance programs. An approved housing assistance program is a disallowable instrument.

Such programs are required to include the kind of assistance that may be provided, the eligibility criteria, and how decisions of the Commissioner for Social Housing (housing commissioner) under the program may be reviewed.

The Housing Assistance Public Rental Housing Assistance Program 2008 (No 1) (the new program) replaces the Housing Assistance Public Rental Housing Assistance Program 2007 (No1) (DI2007-267) (the old program). 

The new program effectively varies clause 9 of the old program through the addition of new subclause (1A), removing a potential inequity impacting on sole parent applicants. As a result of this change sole parent applicants with one or more dependent children will now be subject to the same income eligibility criteria as applicant couples with the same number of children. 

Clause 34 of the new program repeals the Housing Assistance Public Rental Housing Assistance Program 2007 (No 1).