Housing Support Package for NSW Mid North Coast and Hunter floods
A $50 million Housing Support Package has been announced by the NSW Government in response to the severe storms and flooding that impacted the Mid North coast and Hunter regions in May (AGRN 1212).
The package includes:
- a dedicated one-stop concierge and referral service to connect callers with tailored recovery support for their circumstances
- on-site temporary accommodation so eligible homeowners and primary producers can stay on or near their properties while they recover and rebuild
- grants of $5,500 for eligible renters to secure new rental properties and contribute to relocation expenses
- grants of up to $25,000 for eligible homeowners and landlords to repair their properties to a safe and habitable standard.
Housing Recovery Service
The Housing Recovery Service is a new service designed to help you if your home was made uninhabitable by the recent NSW East Coast severe weather event (AGRN1212).
The service connects homeowners, renters and landlords with housing assistance such as grants for repairs, grants to help with rent and relocation, temporary housing programs and disaster relief grants.
The Housing Recovery Service will assess the circumstances of each flood-impacted household and recommend the best housing assistance options. The team will support households through the application process and manage their case until they have a solution that meets their needs.
You can contact the Housing Recovery Service on 1800 695 043.
At-Home Caravans Program
The At-Home Caravans program provides temporary caravan accommodation close to residents’ homes if they were made uninhabitable by the NSW East Coast severe weather event (AGRN1212).
Caravans will be made available to eligible households for an initial period of 6 months, so they can stay close to their home while repairs are completed, or alternatively, they find other longer-term housing.
The caravans can be placed on your land, or someone else’s land with their permission. The land must be suitable for a caravan and meet certain criteria.
Applications are now open through the Housing Recovery Service.
Renters Bond and Advanced Rent Grant
Financial assistance to support renters with the costs associated with the establishment of a new tenancy, such as bonds and other expenses involved in moving to a new rental property is available where rental homes are uninhabitable due to the NSW East Coast severe weather event (AGRN 1212).
The Renters Bond and Advanced Rent Grant is a one-off, flat-rate payment of $5,500 to help cover a new rental bond or rent in advance in a private rental.
The grant is open to tenants whose rental dwelling was made uninhabitable by the flood and whose household annual taxable income is below $100,000 ($1923/week).
Applications are now open through the Housing Recovery Service.
Home Repair Grant
If you need financial assistance to repair your home because it was made uninhabitable by the NSW East Coast severe weather event (AGRN1212), you may be eligible for a Home Repair Grant for up to $25,000.
Eligible owner-occupiers and landlords with an annual household income of less than $100,000 before tax, who don’t have flood insurance, and who are struggling with the cost of repairs, can apply for the grant to help with the cost of repairing their home. Landlords will also be required to return the home to the private rental market at previous rent.
Applications are now open through the Housing Recovery Service.
Disaster Relief Grant
The purpose of the DRG Program is to support those most in need and those least able to return their homes to a safe and habitable condition after a natural disaster such as low-income earners and where the damage is not covered by insurance, subject to eligibility requirements. In doing so, it seeks to alleviate personal hardship and distress arising as a result of natural disasters in NSW.