Introduction
If you are on a low income, you can apply for social housing in the Northern Territory (NT).
Social housing includes public housing and community housing. These homes are owned by the government and delivered by the government or a community housing provider.
The rent is usually less than you would pay in the private sector.
To apply, you will need to meet conditions relating to age, income, assets and residency.
For information on the types of social housing offered to applicants, contact your local housing office.
Who can apply for social housing
If you want to apply for social housing, there are conditions you must meet.
You must have an independent source of income and one of the following:
- Australian citizenship
- permanent residency status
- special category visa that apply to New Zealanders
- temporary protection visa.
If you own or partly own a residential property
You can't apply for public housing if you own or partly own a house or unit in Australia.
Minimum age
You need to be aged 15 years or over to apply for social housing. However, a tenancy agreement can't be entered into by an individual under the age of 16.
Travelling
If you are on the social housing list, you must continue to live in the Northern Territory (NT).
If you have a debt
If you owe money to the department, your application will still be accepted.
If you have breached a previous tenancy agreement
You are not eligible to live in or apply for social housing for 2 years if:
- you have had your tenancy agreement terminated by the department or a community housing provider for a breach
- you voluntarily gave up your social housing due to a breach.
Types of social housing
Social housing includes public housing and community housing.
These homes are owned by the Northern Territory (NT) Government and offered by the government and community housing providers.
You may also be offered a referral to non-government community organisations, who offer managed and supported accommodation. This may suit your current circumstances and provide you with alternative options.
Housing sizes
A range of social housing is available in major centres throughout the NT.
They range in sizes and types, including purpose-built and modified housing for people with disabilities.
During a tenancy, the social housing provider will check to make sure the accommodation is right for the size of your household.
If your needs and entitlements change, you may need to transfer to another property that has fewer, or additional bedrooms.
You may be allocated a home larger than your entitlement to accommodate medical needs or parent-child access arrangements.
If you are having a baby, you can include your unborn child on your application. This can be done once you are over 7 months pregnant. The department will add this information for you.
Your entitlement will reflect the type and size of house you need once your child is born. After this, you must provide the child’s birth certificate.
Where you can live
You can apply to live in a specific area or town where social housing exists in the NT, but you can't choose a specific suburb.
The social housing provider will consider your household's circumstances such as closeness to schools and public transport for work or medical reasons.
Some social housing complexes are only available for specific groups such as people over 55, seniors or tenants on a disability pension.
How to apply for social housing
To apply for social housing, you must follow the below steps:
Step 1. Talk to housing staff
You can talk to:
- someone at your local housing office
- the housing officer in your local community
- a Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities officer when they're in your community.
If you need an interpreter or translator, housing staff can help organise one.
Step 2. Read the application
Read the application for social housing so you understand what you need to do.
Whether you live remote or in a town area, you must use the same form.
Application for social housing DOCX (532.6 KB)
Application for social housing PDF (1.1 MB)
Information you will need
Check you have all the information you need to complete your application.
You must provide all of the following:
- your current address
- names of all the people who will be living with you
- photo identification for everyone over 18 years old
- household income such as your pay, the name of your employer or how much you get from Centrelink
- anything you own such as another house or money in the bank
- you must provide bank statements for the last 3 months for all of your accounts
- marriage certificate if you're married
- birth certificates for all children listed in the application or the child selection document from Centrelink
- 2 tenancy references - ask your housing office about a referral to non-government organisations who may be able to help you with:
- medium-term accommodation and
- the chance to get a tenancy reference.
To find out more about the supporting documents you need, read the fact sheets on the Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities website.
Step 3. Talk to your household about your application
Show your application to your household and explain that they will be named in the form.
Step 4. Fill in your application
Fill in all sections of your application and have all applicants read and sign the declaration section.
If you need some help with the application, contact your local housing office.
If you have more than 5 people in your household
If you have more than five people in your household, fill in the additional applicant/household members form for each extra person with your application.
Additional applicant/household members form DOCX (72.9 KB)
Additional applicant/household members form PDF (482.7 KB)
For each extra person over 18 years old, you must provide suitable proof of identity and income information.
You can only use this form when you first apply for public housing. You can't use it to add people to your tenancy after you get a house.
If you need some help with this form, contact your local housing office.
Step 5. Submit your application
Submit your application at your local housing office or to a housing officer when they're in your community.
You can also ask the housing officer to check your form.
It may take several weeks to find out if your application has been approved.
If your application is approved
You will be contacted and put on the waiting list.
The department or a community housing provider (CHP) will contact you again when it's your turn to be offered accommodation and a suitable property becomes available.
Waiting times vary and in some areas, it can take over 5 years.
You will be contacted while you are on the waiting list to:
- see if you still want to stay on the list and
- confirm your current circumstances.
If your circumstances change
You must contact the department every 6 months to:
- confirm your contact details
- tell them if your situation has changed.
If you don't, you might miss an offer of housing and your application might be cancelled.
If you need to update your application, call or visit your local housing office.
If your application is not approved
You will receive a letter telling you why your application has not been approved.
You can speak to your local housing office for more information.
Allocation of a home
Before you can move into a social housing property, all of the following must happen:
- your weekly rent will be worked out
- you will agree on how you pay your rent
- you will have to sign a tenancy or occupancy agreement with:
- the Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities or
- a CHP.
Read your agreement
You must read your tenancy or occupancy agreement before you sign it.
It includes your rights and responsibilities like how much rent you will have to pay.
It also includes the responsibilities of the social housing provider.
You should keep a copy of your agreement.
If you are a public housing tenant, read more about your tenancy or occupancy agreement, paying your rent and looking after your house.
If your tenancy agreement is with a CHP, contact them directly or go to their website for more information.
If you don't understand your agreement
Talk to your housing office if you don't understand the agreement.
Ask for an interpreter or translator if you need one.
Read the condition report
You must read the condition report before you sign it.
This condition report includes a description of your home when you move in including any damage.
You will have time to go through the house and make sure the condition report matches the condition of each room.
If anything doesn't match, you must let your social housing provider know within 5 business days of receiving the condition report.
You should ask for a copy of this report once you have signed it.
For more information, contact your local housing office or CHP.
How your application is assessed
Your application for social housing will be assessed using the information you provide. You may be contacted for further information or documentation if a decision can't be made.
Once the assessment is complete, you will be contacted about the outcome of your application.
Applying for social housing in urban areas
Your application will be assessed based on the income and value of assets in your household.
Household income and asset limits
To be eligible for social housing in urban areas, your household income and assets must be lower than the below eligibility limits.
| Household size | Weekly gross household income limit* | Household asset limit* - new public housing applicants - current tenants under 55 years | Household asset limit* - current tenants over 55 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,046 | $80,449 | $289,137 |
| 2 | $1,359 | $114,785 | $289,137 |
| 3 | $1,581 | $181,802 | $406,806 |
| 4 | $1,815 | $181,802 | $406,806 |
| 5 | $2,039 | $181,802 | $406,806 |
| 6 | $2,269 | $181,802 | $406,806 |
*Income and asset limits were last changed on 9 October 2023.
Proof of income
All household members aged 18 years and over must provide proof of income.
This evidence can include:
- Centrelink statements for benefits or pensions
- payslips from your job
- if self-employed - a copy of your previous financial year notice of assessment for income tax from the Australian Taxation Office
- proof in writing of pensions from overseas or Veterans' Affairs.
Income not included
Some types of income are excluded from your assessment.
These include:
- child care benefit
- carer allowance or bonus
- foster child allowance
- child maintenance payments made by you
- pharmaceutical allowance.
Read more about what types of income are included or excluded from the assessment.
Proof of assets
In urban areas, your assets will also be looked at to see if you qualify for social housing.
You and all people living with you aged 18 years and over will need to provide proof of your assets.
These include:
- savings and cash holdings
- recreation vehicles, quad bikes and trail bikes
- boats
- caravans, camping trailers and mobile homes
- stock market bonds and investments
- superannuation funds that can be assessed
- land or property.
Find a full list of what assets are assessed when you apply for public housing.
Assets not included
Some items are not included when assessing eligibility. These include:
- personal affects
- general household furniture
- personal vehicles and other forms of transport, including:
- cars
- motorbikes
- mobility scooters.
For some, proof must be given showing they cannot be assessed.
Contact
For more information, contact your local housing office.
Social housing wait times
Wait times for social housing vary, depending on each applicant's circumstances.
They are affected by a number of factors such as the:
- general demand for social housing
- number of approved priority applications
- availability and turnover of suitable homes in each location.
Below are the estimated waiting times for urban social housing as of 31 December 2023.
This includes general and priority applicants only.
| Estimated wait times for public housing (years) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | General wait times | Priority wait times | ||||||
| 1 bedroom | 2 bedroom | ≥3 bedroom | 1 bedroom | 2 bedroom | ≥3 bedroom | |||
| Darwin/Casuarina | 8-10 | 4-6 | 4-6 | 6-8 | 4-6 | 4-6 | ||
| Palmerston | 8-10 | 4-6 | 2-4 | 6-8 | 4-6 | 2-4 | ||
| Katherine | 8-10 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 4-6 | ||
| Nhulunbuy | 6-8 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 4-6 | 6-8 | 6-8 | ||
| Tennant Creek | 8-10 | 8-10 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 6-8 | 6-8 | ||
| Alice Springs | 8-10 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 8-10 | ||
Applications for social housing
Below is the total number of current applications for urban social housing as of 31 December 2023.
This includes general and priority applicants only.
| Applications for public housing | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | General applications | Priority applications | |||||||||
| 1 bedroom | 2 bedroom | ≥3 bedroom | Total | 1 bedroom | 2 bedroom | ≥3 bedroom | Total | ||||
| Darwin region | 878 | 178 | 140 | 1,196 | 649 | 166 | 206 | 1,021 | |||
| Palmerston | 329 | 90 | 56 | 475 | 238 | 82 | 72 | 392 | |||
| Katherine | 227 | 57 | 72 | 356 | 80 | 42 | 50 | 172 | |||
| Nhulunbuy | 48 | 36 | 56 | 140 | 5 | 10 | 16 | 31 | |||
| Tennant Creek | 61 | 26 | 43 | 130 | 17 | 10 | 42 | 69 | |||
| Alice Springs | 445 | 203 | 201 | 849 | 134 | 121 | 133 | 388 | |||
| Total | 1,988 | 590 | 568 | 3,146 | 1,123 | 431 | 519 | 2,073 | |||
Social housing allocations
Allocations from the wait list are dependent on the availability of housing stock, which is generally linked to the number of households leaving social housing.
The number of urban social housing allocations from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023 is shown below.
This includes general and priority applicants only.
| Allocations for public housing | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | General allocations | Priority allocations | |||||||||
| 1 bedroom | 2 bedroom | ≥3 bedroom | Total | 1 bedroom | 2 bedroom | ≥3 bedroom | Total | ||||
| Darwin region | 14 | 9 | 8 | 31 | 32 | 20 | 38 | 90 | |||
| Palmerston | 12 | 8 | 18 | 38 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 53 | |||
| Katherine | 10 | 6 | 3 | 19 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | |||
| Nhulunbuy | - | - | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | |||
| Tennant Creek | 2 | - | 1 | 3 | - | - | 1 | 1 | |||
| Alice Springs | 5 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 11 | |||
| Total | 43 | 26 | 36 | 105 | 58 | 47 | 68 | 173 | |||
Applications for social housing compared to vacant social housing homes
Below is the total number of applications for social housing compared to vacant social housing homes as of 31 December 2023.
This includes general, priority and transfer applicants.
Vacant homes includes dwellings undergoing vacancy assessments, maintenance, major upgrade and that are available to allocate.
| Region | 1 bedroom | 2 bedroom | ≥3 bedroom | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wait list | Vacant homes | Wait list | Vacant homes | Wait list | Vacant homes | Wait list | Vacant homes | |
| Darwin region | 1,684 | 10 | 454 | 23 | 466 | 19 | 2,604 | 52 |
| Palmerston | 634 | 15 | 215 | 21 | 176 | 9 | 1,025 | 45 |
| Katherine | 322 | - | 110 | 10 | 142 | 5 | 574 | 15 |
| Nhulunbuy | 56 | - | 46 | 2 | 74 | 2 | 176 | 4 |
| Tennant Creek | 81 | 3 | 44 | 4 | 100 | 3 | 225 | 10 |
| Alice Springs | 629 | 15 | 359 | 15 | 404 | 25 | 1,392 | 55 |
| Total | 3,406 | 43 | 1,228 | 75 | 1,362 | 63 | 5,996 | 181 |
What happens when a property becomes available
Social housing is allocated according to the wait list.
When you're nearing the top of the wait list, you will be asked to participate in a pre-tenancy interview.
Pre-tenancy interview
You need to attend this interview before a formal offer can be made.
This interview makes sure your details are up to date.
Additional checks will be done to find out if your:
- application information is still correct
- entitlement needs to be re-assessed.
You need to provide 2 tenancy references to show you:
- have a good history of paying rent
- can maintain your property
- have had no issues with antisocial behaviour.
References
You can use the following as references:
- real estate agent
- private landlords
- other state housing authorities
- supported accommodation services
- hostels
- community housing organisations.
Your application may be put on hold if you're unable to provide references or if your references are unsuitable.
How a reference is given
If you get a tenancy reference from an organisation or company such as a real estate agent, the company will need to write a letter to the:
- Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities or
- community housing provider (CHP).
The letter must be written on the company’s letterhead and must include the following information about your past tenancy:
- the address of the property
- the time the property was rented
- the rent amount and rent payment frequency
- if you were a signatory of the lease
- if a notice to remedy was issued and why
- if any damage was done to the property and if so, what damage
- if there were any complaints from neighbours and if so, what complaints
- if the bond was refunded in full and if not, why.
If you're getting a tenancy reference from a person (not a company), the person will need to fill in the housing tenancy reference form PDF (87.3 KB).
If you don't have references
If you can't supply a satisfactory tenancy reference, you can provide other documents that show you can maintain a tenancy.
These documents could include evidence of attending life skills or community support programs.
If you're unable to supply other relevant documents, the department or CHP may be able to recommend other options to help you.
When you get the formal offer
When a suitable property becomes available and you have met conditions at the pre-tenancy interview, you will be contacted with a formal offer of a social housing property.
To accept or refuse the offer, you will need to contact the social housing provider who made the offer within 24 hours of receiving the offer.
If the offer was made by government, you can contact your local housing office.
Defer your application
You can request to defer your application for up to six months, if you have reasonable grounds for doing so.
This may include:
- holidays
- possible job transfer
- fixed-term lease on a current private rental property
- approved caretaker tenancies
- medical requirements.
You may be asked to provide suitable letters or documents to support your request for a deferral.
If you refuse the offer
If you refuse an offer that meets your household's needs, your application may be cancelled and you may be taken off the social housing waiting list.
You will have a chance to give your reasons in writing. The manager will consider these reasons.
An offer of housing is based on your households needs, confirmed at the pre-tenancy interview.
Tenancy agreement
The tenancy agreement is a legal document that gives details of your rights and responsibilities as a tenant along with those of the landlord.
It is important that you read and understand the tenancy agreement and keep a copy for your records.
If you have any difficulties understanding the agreement, you can contact your social housing provider for assistance.
If the government is your social housing provider / landlord, contact your local housing office.
You can't move in until you have:
- signed the agreement
- paid the rent and bond money.
You must start your tenancy within 7 business days from the date of accepting the offer of social housing.
If you or people living with you break the tenancy agreement, it could be ended and you would have to leave the property.
Tenancy support
A range of support programs are available to help you maintain a successful tenancy.
Read more about the tenancy support program.
Contact
For more information, go to the Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities website.