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Accommodation for the Homeless Phase 2 and Community Sector Owned Rooming House UpgradesResponses to questions from the sector (updated regularly)
About this document
Questions relating to the Accommodation for the Homeless Phase 2 and Rooming House Upgrades can be sent to the Homelessness and Accommodation Support email address <>.
This document will be updated daily with questions received and the department’s responses and placed on the Department of Health and Human Services website <https://dhhs.vic.gov.au/improving-housing-services-vulnerable-victorians
Responses to previously received questions appear first followed by new questions and responses.
Please note that a separate document at the same website address provides the questions that were raised at the industry briefing session on 12 April 2017 and the responses of the department to those questions.
Updated on 9 May 2017
Responses to previously answered questions
Accommodation for the Homeless Phase 2 and Community Sector Owned Rooming House Upgrade – to questions from the sector (updated regularly) 12
Question 1: As a funded Community Service Organisation that owns land, are we obliged to enter into an agreement/partnership with a Housing Association or Housing Provider to access capital money available under the Accommodation for the Homeless Phase 2 funding to develop housing on this site?
(Received 12 April 2017)
Response:
No, there is no obligation to enter into a partnership. However, the department strongly encourages applicants to establish or build on existing partnerships with other Registered Housing Agencies or department funded Community Service Organisations.
All applicants should demonstrate how they are demonstrating the key selection criteria, particularly:
• Criteria 4 – Evidence of the capacity to deliver innovative services in partnership with other agencies for people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness
• Criteria 5 – Financial viability.
Question 2: Can the Rooming House upgrade funding be applied to the upgrade of a property that is owned by the Department and in the portfolio of the Registered Housing Association?
(Received 12 April 2017)
Response:
No. As noted in the guidance pack, funding can only be used to upgrade rooming houses which are owned by the Registered Housing Agency.
Question 3: Could a Department Funded Community Service Organisation place transferable / portable homes on an owned block of land?
(Received 13 April 2017)
Response:
Yes. Please refer to the selection criteria.
Question 4: Could a Department Funded Community Service Organisation apply (in conjunction with a Registered Housing Agency) for support service provision to the redeveloped Rooming House?
(Received 13 April 2017)
Response:
No. Department Funded Community Service Organisations should be aware that there is no support funding available through the Community Sector Owned Rooming House Upgrades.
Question 5: Can you confirm the funding to be released for the 3.1 million in support, whilst applied for now, will not be delivered until the 18/19 financial year?
(Received 13 April 2017)
Response:
Yes, it is correct that support funding commences in 2018-19.
Question 6: Would the Department provide funding for the redevelopment of a property if the land is owned by another government department?
(Received 13 April 2017)
Response:
Preference will be given to proposals that can demonstrate access to land or readiness to acquire a site. Consideration would need to be given to what terms and conditions would be attached to the arrangement in order to secure the continued access to the site.
Question 7: Will the $3.1 million allocated for support services go toward multiple projects? If so, what is the expected funding amount per project?
(Received 18 April 2017)
Response:
The selection of successful projects and the allocation of funds for those projects will be determined through the assessment process.
Question 8: Is there a region that is of particular focus? Can the project be based in regional Victoria?
(Received 18 April 2017)
Response:
No, there is no region that is of particular focus.
Yes, the project can be based in regional Victoria. As noted in the guidance pack, it is expected that projects will be across Victoria in areas where it can be demonstrated that there is a need for more and/or improved accommodation and service options for people at risk of, or experiencing homelessness and/or upgraded rooming house accommodation.
The onus is on the applicant to demonstrate this need as part of their application.
Question 9: Can applications for the support funding be done in isolation or must we apply in partnership with an agency that is applying for the capital funding?
(Received 18 April 2017)
Response:
No. Support funding will not be allocated to a proposal without a capital component.
Question 10: If support funding can be applied [in] isolation, how does the below criteria apply?
Capacity – Accommodation / Demonstrated capacity to deliver new or innovative redeveloped accommodation / 25%(Received 18 April 2017)
Response:
As noted in the response to question 9, support funding will not be allocated to a proposal without a capital component.
Question 11: Are there defined outcomes i.e number of people supported?
(Received 18 April 2017)
Response:
The department does not have a target number for the number of homeless people assisted, however there will be a strong emphasis on the tangible outcomes that will be achieved in supporting people out of homelessness.
Question 12: Why doesn’t support funding commence until July 2018? This suggests that there is an expected rollout, is there an opportunity to start support services earlier?
(Received 18 April 2017)
Response:
Accommodation for the Homeless Phase 2 aims to deliver new or innovative redeveloped long term housing or crisis accommodation options that provide flexible support for Victorians most in need and leverage other service delivery opportunities to provide a pathway out of homelessness. It is expected that capital funding will be required in the first instance to build or redevelop suitable accommodation.
Funding for capital grants or support services cannot be brought forward, but the department may roll funding over into following years depending on the submissions received. Note that support funding could potentially be distributed over 3 years.
Please note that capital funding cannot be used for support services, and vice-versa.
Question 13: Would a project receive incremental funding flows from more than one period aligned to project staging, i.e. part funding in 2017-18, 2018-19 etc?
(Received 18 April 2017)
Response:
Funding is available commencing in 2017-18 for 3 years. The department will liaise with successful applicants with respect to funding flows for successful projects.
Question 14: Would a project seeking more than $7.3m upfront receive all of the funding in 2017-18 – that is to say, could funding be brought forward from the out years?
(Received 18 April 2017)
Response:
Funding cannot be brought forward, but the department may roll funding over into following years depending on the submissions received. Note that support funding could potentially be distributed over 3 years.
Question 15: Our organisation is committed to ensuring that older women at risk of experiencing homelessness in Victoria have a say in what their needs are and are consulted in the development of accommodation/ housing options. To this end we would welcome guidance from the department about what funding might be available to help facilitate this important process (if it hasn’t already been done).
(Received 20 April 2017)
Response:
The department anticipates that applicants would understand the housing needs of the people they support and can outline innovative housing options for people at risk of homelessness and the necessary pathways out of homelessness to support an application for Accommodation for the Homeless Phase 2. Organisations are encouraged to provide an evidence base that demonstrates the needs in their areas.
Question 16: We would like to clarify whether the capital funds in Phase 2 are available to Department Funded Community Service Organisations or only Registered Housing Agencies?
It is our understanding that capital funding is open to both Department Funded CSOs and RHAs. Can you please confirm that as a Department Funded CSO we are eligible to apply for the capital funding?
(Received 21 April 2017)
Response:
Yes, capital funds are available to both Department Funded Community Service Organisations and Registered Housing Agencies.
Question 17: Can “procurement” include spot purchase in the Accommodation for the Homeless Phase 2 project?
(Received 21 April 2017)
Response:
Yes, applicants may use capital grant funding to acquire properties.
Question 18: The document outlines support funding for Accommodation for the Homeless Phase 2 will be available in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 financial years. Are organisations able to apply to receive support funding in each of these years (2 year funding) for one particular program or is funding only available on a 12 month basis?
(Received 24 April 2017)
Response:
Yes, applicants may apply to receive support funding in both years.
Question 19: Can funding be used for purchase of land? We have been given the impression that ‘capital’ funding is only for construction of new/development of existing buildings – is that correct?
(Received 26 April 2017)
Response:
No, funding cannot be used for the purchase of land.
It is expected that capital grant funds will be used for the construction and/or redevelopment of accommodation facilities.
Question 20: I am seeking to clarify whether the Capital $21m made available for new Homeless accommodation Phase 2 includes the cost of both Land and Build?
(Received 26 April 2017)
Response:
Please refer to the response to Question 19.
Question 21: Also were there any minutes from the [industry] briefing?
(Received 26 April 2017)
Response:
The department has noted and prepared responses to questions received at the industry briefing on 12 April 2017. This document can be found at the department’s website here <https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/helping-those-risk-or-experiencing-homelessness>
Question 22: Where the upgrade cost of works [for a Rooming House Upgrade] is fraction of the worth of the property itself, what calculation would be used by the Director of Housing to establish the % of beds for priority access via the Victorian Housing Register?
(Received 21 April 2017, question clarified on 26 April 2017)
Response:
The department does not foresee changes to Victorian Housing Register entitlements through the Community Sector Owned Rooming House Upgrade.
Question 23: An organisation has identified a possible property that could be used for the Community Sector Owned Rooming House Upgrade. The property has a charitable owner willing to offer a long term lease to the organisation. The organisation is considering leasing the property if it can fund the renovations. It will need renovating because this property has does not have single bedrooms (people may have to share bathrooms). This does not fit the Rooming House Upgrade guidelines because we are not seeking money to turn shared accommodation into bedsits. It also does not fit the guidelines because the guidelines specify 'community sector owned rooming houses'. Are these assumptions correct?
(Received 27 April 2017, edited to remove proprietary information)
Response:
Correct, the intention of the Community Sector Owned Rooming House Upgrade is to convert sector-owned rooming houses into self-contained accommodation.
Question 24: Is the funding available for Accommodation for the Homeless Phase 2 to renovate leased properties? This question relates to the property described previously (question 23).
(Received 27 April 2017)
Response:
Preference will be given to proposals that can demonstrate access to land or readiness to acquire a site.
Question 25: If so, would this property be considered under Accommodation for the Homeless Phase 2 (property described in question 23)?
(Received 27 April 2017)
Response:
Please see response to question 24 – preference will be given to proposals that can demonstrate access to land or readiness to acquire a site.
Question 26: Could it be considered if it was viewed as short-term accommodation or a boarding house?
(Received 27 April 2017)
Response:
As noted in the guidance pack, the accommodation facility should seek to deliver new or redeveloped innovative long term housing or crisis accommodation options that offer flexible support for Victorians most in need and provide a pathway out of homelessness.
Question 27: Is the funding available for Accommodation for the Homeless Phase 2 to purchase property e.g. a block of flats or very large house and if so, is it available without having a property specified? If we were looking on the open market, any properties available between now and May will probably have been sold by July.
(Received 27 April 2017, edited for clarity)
Response:
Yes, applicants may use capital grant funding to acquire properties.
As noted in the responses to questions from the industry briefing, preference will be given to proposals that can demonstrate access to land or readiness to acquire a site.
Question 28: Can you please provide DHHS Design Guidelines / Design Standards for both New Dwellings and for upgrading rooming houses into fully self-contained apartments. We require this information to establish construction cost estimates based on DHHS accommodation standards and room sizes as well as for specification of fittings and finishes.
(Received 21 April 2017)
Response:
The department does not have specific design guidelines for rooming houses. The department's Housing Design Guidelines are applicable to Director of Housing owned properties and not mandatory for community sector owned properties. The guidelines do, however, reflect best practice and identify a wide range of issues that need to be considered in the design and development of social housing.
The Housing Design Guidelines can be found on the Helping those at risk of homelessness web page on the department’s website <https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/helping-those-risk-or-experiencing-homelessness>.
In addition, agencies should review their responsible Council's web sites on requirements for Sustainable Design and Sustainable Design Strategies and, if applicable, Policy and Planning Schemes.
Question 29: Can an applicant redevelop an existing office facility (which the applicant owns) into an accommodation facility for a particular target cohort, and relocate the office facility to other premises?
(Received 2 May 2017)
Response:
Yes, applicants may redevelop an existing office facility into an accommodation facility for a particular target cohort. However, the applicant needs to demonstrate the overall financial viability of the project proposal. The applicant should demonstrate that resources (not from the Accommodation for the Homeless Phase 2 initiative) have been identified and committed to enable the relocation of the office facility to other premises. Evidence of the ongoing financial viability of the redeveloped accommodation facility and the relocated office facility needs to be provided.