Programs

TIAS is a free and independent service that assists people to maintain their tenancies in private rental, community housing, public housing, housing cooperatives and boarding houses..

TIAS provides advice, guidance and advocacy regarding:

- Leases

- Bond disputes

- Property maintenance

- SACAT processes

- Rent arrears

- SA Housing authority processes and appeals

- Community housing processes and appeals

For further information contact TIAS or go to their web site.

HomeStart is a State Government organisation that is focused on providing affordable home loans for South Australians.

Homestart has a number of different loans that can reduce your upfront costs and boost your borrowing power.

For further information about their loans and your eligibility contact Homestart or go to their website.

Their website also has a range of easy to use tools and calculators about how much you can borrow and what your repayments may be.

In the last few weeks the Government has made some unprecedented economic decisions that have had a major impact on a lot of people's financial situations.

One of the decisions that the government has made is in regards to the criteria surrounding the early release of superannuation. Due to the unprecedented effects of COVID-19, the government is allowing individuals affected by the pandemic (who satisfy one or more of the requirements) to access up to $10,000 in 2019-2020 and a further $10,000 in 2020-2021 from their superannuation fund.

With everything going on in the world, it is extremely tempting to take up the government's offer without a second thought and access these funds. The concern at the moment is that there are situations unfolding whereby unlicensed financial advice about the early release of superannuation is being given to satisfy personal interest, such as real estate agents advising tenants in financial hardship to access money from their superannuation fund to pay their rent. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has expressed concern about this kind of conduct because it may constitute as unlicensed financial advice and may not be in the best interest to the individual. For more information, see the attached article from the ABC.

Karyn Hicks is a Financial Counsellor with the Salvation Army. Earlier today she was interviewed by Sonya Feldhoff on ABC Radio Adelaide. Karyn spoke of the sorts of things that people are struggling with over this period and how a financial counsellor can help. You can listen to the audio below

We can appreciate that this is an overwhelming and confusing time for a lot of people, therefore if you are experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19 please consider speaking to a trained financial counsellor first to discuss your options. To speak to a free financial counsellor call the Affordable SA Helpline on 1800 025 539 or search for Financial Counselling on the Affordable SA App.

SA Housing Authority delivers social housing services under the banner of “Housing SA”.

Housing SA provides rental properties for people on lower incomes where tenants typically pay no more than 25% of their income

Visit their website for further information on all topics related to public housing.

This program is for people having difficulty getting a private rental by themselves, who could maintain a private rental with help.

You can be referred to the program after having a service option interview with the SA Housing Authority, having an assessment interview and have attended a Private Rental Liaison Program workshop.

The SA Housing Authority will provide information, practical assistance and support where possible to help maintain a private rental tenancy for up to the first six months of the tenancy.

You may be able to get help from the SA Housing Authority with paying for all or part of a bond and up to two weeks' rent in advance.

This is to help you get a rental property such as a private rental, boarding house & shelters, community housing . For more information about who can apply go to the website below.

You can apply online through the web site below yourself or a support worker can help you apply.

Assistance for rent for people who receive a pension, allowance or benefit or receive more than the base amount of Family Tax Benefit from Commonwealth Government. To be eligible for Rent Assistance, you must be paying more than the minimum amount of rent - refer to the website below for payment rates and further eligibility information.

The National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) helps low and moderate income households rent private accommodation at an affordable rate. NRAS offers incentives to private investors to build and rent properties out. NRAS properties are managed by non-government organisations or private real estate managers.

Rent can be no more than 80% of the market value for that area. You can get an indication of how much rent will be in certain areas on the NRAS Rent Guide. The 2018-2019 household income eligibility limits are:

First Adult $50,489

First Sole Parent $53,104

Each Additional Adult $19,315

Each Child $16,748

The website has examples of a family calculation for you to compare.

Further Eligibility Criteria may apply.

A number of organisations administer the scheme in South Australia. See links for full contact details.

The Affordable Homes Program gives eligible buyers the opportunity to buy affordable homes in South Australia, before they are available on the open market — meaning low to middle income earners have the opportunity to buy a home for a period of time at a fixed price, without having to compete with investors.

To be among the first to know about available Affordable Homes go to their website and subscribe to their email alert service.

The website has further information on the homes available and eligibility.