Are you a former member of the Australian Defence Force?
If you answered YES to the above questions, we may be able to assist you.
RSL DefenceCare works with the NSW Department of Community and Justice (DCJ) to assist former members of the ADF who are experiencing homelessness or may be at risk of becoming homeless.
The program is called Rent Choice Veterans. It supports eligible veterans to:
- get a lease or stay in your current accommodation,
- get subsidised rent for up to three years, and
- gain skills and work opportunities to support financial independence.
Housing assistance can help provide eligible veterans with safety, stability and independence. It can also help reduce stress and anxiety.
For more information, please read our Rent Choice Veterans brochure.
To find out how we can help, please complete the enquiry form at the bottom of the page or call (02) 8088 0388.
Some of the ways we help
Help paying rental bills or bond payments
We can help eligible veterans by applying for assistance for rental bills or bonds through suitable sources. This can allow you to stay in your current accommodation or find somewhere suitable to live and call home.
This can help remove immediate stress and anxiety associated with finance or looking for somewhere else to live. It can allow you to focus on other areas of your life such as work, and maintain a sense of normality and independence.
Help with rental arrears repayments
We can help eligible veterans to stay in current accommodation, enabling you to maintain a sense of normality.
If you have children, this might enable them to stay at school and maintain friendships. It can remove stress and anxiety and allow you to refocus on other areas of your life.
Find a place to stay tonight
If you’re a veteran and you need to find a place to stay urgently, please contact us on (02) 8088 0388 (between 9am and 5pm).
If you need to call outside of these hours, please call Link2home on 1800 152 152 (free call 24 hours a day).
Help with homelessness
Homelessness is not just sleeping rough on the street. If you’re living in your car or couch surfing, that’s homelessness too. And we might be able to help.
We can assist eligible veterans to access emergency accommodation through appropriate providers, help find a place to rent, including sourcing assistance with bond payments, and referral to other services.
Our services can help provide immediate safety and shelter, as well as the time to find a more permanent home, regaining stability and independence.
Some people do not wish to have a fixed address. This can be for many reasons. While we do everything to help them find shelter and security, we can also help provide tents or temporary storage to eligible veterans who are in this situation.
Help moving out of parents’ home
It can be hard finding a place to leave after returning from service, especially if transition has proved challenging. Many veterans return to the safety of their parents’ house but would like to move out.
We can connect eligible veterans with services to find new accommodation and regain independence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I eligible for Rent Choice Veterans?
You are not required to be eligible for social housing. To be eligible for Rent Choice Veterans, you must:
- be a former member of the permanent ADF – navy, army, or air force;
- be a resident in New South Wales;
- be a citizen or have permanent residency in Australia;
- be at least 18 years of age;
- be experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless
- not own any assets/property that can be used to resolve your housing needs;
- have low to medium support needs.
I’m working with a veteran who is experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless – how can I help?
If a veteran presents at your service and they are experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless, you can contact the Housing Project Officer on 0417 196 263 (Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm).
The Housing Project Officer will be able to discuss possible housing options tailored to the individual needs of the veteran to alleviate the immediate crisis and identify their short-term and long-term goals and ongoing needs.
Through our partnership with DCJ, the Housing Project Officer can help veterans who are able to live independently get access to subsidised private rental assistance with bonds and emergency accommodation.
Not everyone who is homeless is ready for independent living, sometimes they may need to access treatment services for drug and alcohol or mental health issues prior to accessing housing or may need a supported living environment.
The Housing Project Officer can assist in facilitating referrals to specialist support services.
You can also contact Open Arms on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372) who will connect you with support services and advise of any support payments available to the veteran.
What if the veteran presents outside of office hours?
DCJ provides a state-wide telephone service for homelessness enquiries in NSW called Link2home 1800 326 989 (free call). The service provides assistance to people who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless by offering access to specialised support and accommodation services. The service is also for advocates acting on a person’s behalf.
The Link2home telephone service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.
You can also contact Open Arms on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372) who will connect you with support services and advise of any support payments available to the veteran. The Open Arms telephone services is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.
Get in contact and get the help you need
Download a brochure
We'll never share your email address and you can opt out at any time, we promise
