The Housing and Information Program utilises Head Lease Grants to achieve property rentals on the private market along with Same House Different Landlord properties provided by the Department of Housing and Public Works.

Housing and Information Program

The Housing and Information Program is an exit point from the Transitional Housing Programs supported tenancies which enables an effective continuum of care for young people who have been successful in maintaining their tenancy for more than six months. 

tenantinformationbooklet.pdf

Programs under the Housing and Information consist of:

Head lease Program

Headleasing refers to properties that Youth Link lease in the private rental market and then sub-lease to clients.

The Housing and Information Program receives and utilises Headlease Grants from the Department of Housing and Public Works to achieve property rentals on the private market.   The programme enables young people aged 16 to 20 years of age to practice independence whilst tenanted in this program.

Education on Tenancy consist of some of the skills below:

• Education around their rights and responsibilities
• Education around the Residential Tenancy Act
• Education around their capacity to achieve financial security
• Support in their capacity to achieve financial security
• Support in obtaining and or maintaining independent accommodation 

Same House different Landlord

The Same House Different Landlord Program offers tenancy management support to clients for a period of six months.  The case worker and the young person, develop a six-month tenancy plan, to assist them to gain skills in managing a longer-term tenancy independently.  Once the young person can manage a longer-term tenancy, the young person signs a new lease with the Department of Housing and Public Works.  This means that the young person becomes a public housing tenant for the duration of their housing need.

Youth Link implements the Community Housing Rent Policy in line with funding body contractual requirements Department of Communities, Housing, and Digital Economy.

Rent is determined on a case-by-case instance referencing the Community Housing Rent Calculator

Same House Different landlord tenants are required to meet the eligibility criteria under the Community Housing programs specifications policy. 

Youth Links Transitional Accommodation Program, Headlease Grants Program and Same House Different Landlord Program provides stable and affordable accommodation and case management for young people in need of support with the challenges of living independently.

The major benefit of the Headlease Program and the Same House Different Landlord Program is that tenancies move beyond a supported placement, young people leave with the knowledge of their tenancy rights and responsibilities and some of these tenants may move past these programs with tenancy skills straight into private rental.