1. Background
This policy explains how Homes NSW manages requests for home modifications from an applicant on the NSW Housing Register, a tenant or an approved household member.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all properties managed by Homes NSW including properties owned by the Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO).
3. Policy statement
Homes NSW is committed to meeting the needs of tenants with disability or medical needs, and to comply with its obligations under the Commonwealth’s Disability Discrimination Act 1992 to make reasonable adjustments to its properties to support these tenants to live independently.
We fund and provide home modifications under this policy to support applicants approved for public housing, existing tenants, and approved household members to live safely within their Homes NSW-managed home. Home Modifications (Disability) is the name for home modifications funded and provided by Homes NSW under this policy.
As an approved applicant for public housing, or a tenant of public housing you (or a person you have provided written authorisation to act for you) are responsible for requesting home modifications if you or an approved member of your household needs modifications to live safely in the property. In your Application for Home Modifications (Disability) DCJ2059 form, we ask the person who needs the modifications to sign a Consent to exchange information between support workers/service providers DH0145 form.
If you or an approved household member has their own funding for home modifications, you can request approval to install the modifications and adjustments under our Alterations to a Home policy. An example of your own funding is if you have a NDIS support package or home modifications funding from an aged care or disability provider.
Homes NSW will provide additional heating and cooling measures on medical grounds in all climate zones, eg. air conditioner - depending on property suitability.
Homes NSW provides 2 categories of Home Modifications – Standard and Major.
Standard Modifications
Homes NSW is committed to providing Standard Modifications to assist you to live safely and independently within a public housing property.
You can request most Standard Modifications without providing supporting information. For some Standard Modifications we ask for a supporting letter from a health professional qualified to confirm the need for the modification and how it should be installed. For example, a doctor (general practitioner or specialist), occupational therapist, or a community services provider with expertise in home modifications. See the Table of Standard Modifications for more information.
If you live in a headleased (privately owned) property, we need to obtain approval from the property owner before agreeing to install Standard Modifications.
A small number of Standard Modifications may require council approval before we can provide them.
See the Approval Criteria section below for more information about how we approve Standard Modifications.
We will take action to assess, approve and install Standard Modifications as soon as possible after receiving your request and any required documentation. Standard Modifications can usually be installed within 5 working days following any documentation (if required) has been received and is dependent on your availability and access to the home.
If you are an approved applicant on the NSW Housing Register that has accepted an offer of public housing, we will install the approved Standard Modifications for you or an authorised member of your household once you move into your home, typically within the same timeframe as noted above.
Reports prepared by an occupational therapist often include requests for both Standard and Major Modifications. We will take action to approve and install Standard Modifications noted in an Occupational Therapist Summary Report, while we consider the request for Major Modifications.
Major Modifications
Major Modifications are modifications that require more extensive work to the property and may take longer to assess and install.
Your request for Major Modifications must be supported by an Application for Home Modifications (Disability) DCJ2059 form, occupational therapist report and a completed Occupational Therapist Summary Report.
Once we receive your application for Home Modifications (Disability), we will aim to contact you within 3 days to confirm receipt of your application.
We recognise that some modifications requested in an occupational therapist report and highlighted in the Occupational Therapist Summary Report may be Standard Modifications needed straight away so you can live safely in the property. We will usually take action to complete the Standard Modifications as soon as possible while we consider and make a decision about the request for Major Modifications.
Some major modifications are considered beyond reasonable adjustment as set out in Homes NSW’s Reasonable Adjustments for Home Modifications (Disability) in NSW Public Housing.
Homes NSW will consider approving a request for Major Modifications that are beyond reasonable adjustment only if other avenues for meeting the medical or disability need are not available as set out in Homes NSW’s Tenant Pathway - Modifications Beyond Reasonable Adjustment.
Relocating clients
If the property you live in is not able to reasonably be modified to suit your medical or disability needs, we may need to consider relocating you to an alternative property. This will allow us to make the necessary home modifications to suit your needs.
If you are required to relocate, we will ask you to provide a Housing Needs Assessment report from your Occupational Therapist so that we can identify a property that is suitable, or can be modified to suit your medical or disability needs.
Declining requests for Home Modifications
If we decline a request for Home Modifications (Disability), we explain the reason in writing and suggest other options. Many decisions made by Homes NSW can be reviewed and appealed. See section 6 below for more information.
Properties on a sale or redevelopment program
We may provide Standard Modifications in properties that are part of a sales or redevelopment program. We do not install Major Modifications if the property is in a sales or redevelopment program.
Approval criteria
The criteria we apply when assessing a request to fund and install home modifications are outlined in the table below.
Supporting information
Most requests do not require supporting information but some will need a letter from a suitably qualified health professional
See Table of Standard Modifications.
Approval criteria
Homes NSW managed property:
- The modification(s) requested is listed on the Table of Standard Modifications.
- You have supplied a letter from a suitably qualified health professional if it is required. See the Table of Standard Modifications for details.
- Homes NSW has obtained any council or other approvals required. See the Table of Standard Modifications for details.
Headlease (privately owned) property:
- The modification(s) requested is listed on the Table of Standard Modifications.
- You have supplied a letter from a suitably qualified health professional if it is required. See the Table of Standard Modifications for details.
- Homes NSW has obtained approval from the property owner.
- Homes NSW has obtained any council or other approvals required. See the Table of Standard Modifications for details.
Supporting information
Occupational Therapist Summary Report and occupational therapist report.
Approval criteria
Approved if all the following requirements are met:
- The modification is specifically related to the medical or disability needs of the tenant, their carer or authorised household member.
- An Application for Home Modifications (Disability) DCJ2059 form, occupational therapist report, and Occupational Therapist Summary Report has been received.
- The property is not a headlease property or consent has been received from the property owner.
- The property is not on a Homes NSW sales or redevelopment program.
- It is confirmed that there is no alternate funding source such as NDIS or Commonwealth aged care services that will enable the modifications to be arranged by the tenant under the Alterations to a Home policy.
- The property is suitable for the modifications requested considering the condition of the property and any need for upgrades, structural constraints associated with the property’s style of construction, heritage constraints applying to the property, and the location and topography of the property.
- We agree that there is no other more suitable public housing, community housing, Aboriginal housing (if relevant) or Specialist Disability Accommodation property available.
4. Legislation and compliance
Homes NSW manages requests for home modifications in accordance with:
- Housing Act 2001
- Residential Tenancies Act 2010
- Anti-Discrimination Act, 1977
- Disability Discrimination Act, 1992 (Cth)
- NSW Heritage Act (1977)
5. Further information
Related documents to housing modifications include:
- Home Modifications (Disability) fact sheet
- Table of Standard Modifications
- Reasonable Adjustments for Home Modifications (Disability) in NSW Public Housing
- Tenant Pathway - Modifications Beyond Reasonable Adjustment
- Alterations to a Home policy
- Changing a Tenancy policy
- Matching and Offering a Property to a Client policy
- Headleasing policy
6. Appealing decisions or actions
Many decisions made by Homes NSW can be reviewed and appealed. If a tenant or applicant disagrees with a decision concerning modifications to a home, they should first contact their Homes NSW Client Service Officer to discuss the matter. If you are still not satisfied, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed. A review is a formal process that checks whether the right decision has been made on a matter. For more information about how reviews work visit the Appealing a housing decision page and the Appeals policy.