Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

HOUSING ASSISTANCE ACT 1996 - SECT 4

Funding of housing assistance

             (1)  The objects of this Act are to provide financial assistance to the States for the purpose of ensuring that people can obtain housing that is affordable, secure and appropriate to their needs, and to make payments for the purposes of research, development, demonstration and evaluation in relation to housing.

Aim of Act

             (2)  The overall aim of this Act is to provide housing assistance by which people can obtain affordable, secure and appropriate housing. Within this aim the goals are:

                     (a)  to target housing assistance to those most in need, including the homeless and those discriminated against in the private rental market; and

                     (b)  to make available to them a choice between different forms of housing assistance and different providers of that assistance, between different types of housing and between different areas in which housing is located; and

                     (c)  to ensure that rental housing provided under inter‑government housing agreements is of an adequate size, has adequate amenity, is of ecologically approriate design and is appropriately located in relation to employment opportunities and necessary services and facilities.

How the aim is to be achieved

             (3)  The aim of the housing assistance provided for under this Act is to be achieved by:

                     (a)  identifying needs for which the provision of housing assistance is an appropriate response; and

                     (b)  providing, or arranging for the provision of, housing assistance; and

                     (c)  giving the assistance in ways that are effective and ensure that money provided is spent efficiently and is properly accounted for; and

                     (d)  encouraging the provision of different kinds of housing assistance; and

                     (e)  ensuring that the rights of people receiving assistance are properly protected and that due regard is had to their responsibilities.

Housing assistance to be implemented through inter‑government agreements

             (4)  A key feature of housing assistance provided under this Act is that the assistance is to be implemented through common‑form agreements between the Commonwealth and the States.