Public housing - Melbourne

[Acanthus]

Hi, I hope this is in the right place, and furthermore that some people here have some experience with this topic.

Basically I'm a youngish guy (26) who can no longer work due to manic depression, so do full-time university (pharmacology) instead. Unfortunately this means zero money and for the past couple of years have been living with parents, who are not very helpful at all. This is no longer possible, and so there's no choice but to look for public housing.

My questions are:
1. What is the quickest way to get this done. Are there offices I go to? The phone lines are crammed.
2. Any advice on how to do the disability claim thing best?
3. What is the nominal wait time for a place?
4. Any other tips?

Any help would be great. I feel like a duck out of water, seems like a big change, but that's where mental illness leads (at least in the short term! Until such powers can be positively harnessed!!!).

 

[Klue]

Do you have a case manager or professonial support that could help answer these questions for you?? Maybe a community nurse of some sort?

 

[Acanthus]

^^ Thanks for the reply. I see a psychiatrist every so often but not sure how much help he would be (he's more of a 'so how're the drugs working?' kind of figure). I guess it's all about finding the right number to call in regards to getting someone who can link me up, and that community nurse suggestion is something I will consider, so thanks for that.

 

[psytaco]

http://www.housing.vic.gov.au/

I guess you could also speak to someone at centrelink too (I presume you get either a disability pension or AUSSTUDY so already have contact with them - if not get onto them).

From what I know of public housing (which isn't much) is that it is really short supply and that waiting lists are long. People wait years to get into it. Also, I imagine that they have a system where the most needy come first. For instance, an unemployable single mother with several young children would come ahead of a man in his 20's who is studying. But like I said, I am not an expert.

If you do have some income (or can pick up a couple of days work somewhere) why don't you go on gumtree.com.au and try living in a cheap share house? This is what most students do and many live off AUSSTUDY.

 

[Boku_]

It's almost impossible to get a public housing flat in Melbourne now. I was in the john cade ward at royal melb a few years ago and there many homeless mentally ill people who were being shuffled between hospital, temp crisis accommodation and nursing homes.

If I was you I would get in touch with a mental health clinic and get them to get u into supported accommodation (it's like a share house for people with mental health issues) . That will last a few months and they will organise a room in rooming house. They will probably pay the bond and first weeks rent in the rooming house. If u can't find a share house on gumtree a rooming house may be your only option