Changing your social housing for your disability
An Easy Read guide about how social housing tenants can request changes to help them live in their home.
In this guide, we explain how you can make changes to your social housing for your disability.
Social housing is homes that cost less to live in.
The government helps pay for social housing.
Changes to meet your needs
If your social housing doesn’t meet your needs, you can ask Homes NSW to make changes.
For example, Homes NSW can make changes that support your disability.
This could include small changes like:
- a shower head you can hold in your hand
- taps that are easy to use
- a smoke alarm with bright lights.
It can also include big changes like:
- wider doorways
- ramps
- changes to your kitchen, bathroom or laundry.
You can contact Homes NSW to ask for changes.
You can call
You can contact your local housing office.
You'll need to complete an application for Home Modifications form to ask for big changes.
You can download the application form.
You can get an application form at your local housing office.
If you need help getting an application form you can call.
How Homes NSW decide on changes to your social housing
To make big changes to your social housing, you will need support from an occupational therapist.
An occupational therapist helps someone find ways to do everyday tasks.
Your doctor can help you find an occupational therapist.
Your occupation therapist will:
- check your home
- find out what you need.
Homes NSW will use this report to confirm if you need changes to your social housing.
They will complete the application form and then you can return it to your local housing office.
Homes NSW will also look at if it’s possible to make the changes you need to your social housing.
You can find out more in the Disability Modifications Policy.
How long will changes take?
We usually tell people that it will take:
- 10 days for small changes to your social housing
- 90 days for big changes to your social housing.
Homes NSW will check the work when it’s finished.
They might also ask the occupational therapist to make sure the changes will meet your needs.
What you can do if you don’t agree with Homes NSW’s decision?
If you don’t agree with Homes NSW’s decision, you can fill out an appeal form.
You can also call Homes NSW to ask them to check that the decision is right.
You can find out more on the Appeals and reviewing decisions page.