Temporary accommodation and housing support is available for residents of Greater Shepparton who have been significantly impacted by the Victorian floods.
Homes at Home pilot program
The Homes at Home pilot program is delivering temporary accommodation for up to 40 properties in the Greater Shepparton area.
The pilot will run for three years and will allow residents to live on their property while essential repairs are carried out to their homes.
To support families to feel at home, the temporary accommodation will be equipped with:
- furniture
- fixtures
- utilities.
The pilot program will be evaluated at the 6-month mark and, if successful, may be rolled out more widely.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Homes at Home pilot, you must:
- live in the greater Shepparton region
- be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- own a flood-affected property that was your primary place of residence before the Victorian floods, which was uninsured for flooding
- complete an income and assets test and be able to demonstrate financial and/or other hardship.
Successful applicants will need to also:
- demonstrate an intention to commence repairs to their home within 12 months
- commit to undertaking repairs in a manner that improves resilience to future emergencies, such as flooding
- pay for the utilities at the property, including those used by the temporary accommodation
- commit to standard responsibilities around the care and use of the temporary accommodation.
Cost
Temporary accommodation will be free for the first 12 months. After 12 months, property owners will need to make a co-contribution to the hire cost.
Property owners will be responsible for all running costs, including:
- water
- gas
- electricity.
How to apply
The first step is to register for a structural assessment through our Structural Assessment program. If the structure is found to be repairable, the make-safe program is free for people whose properties were not insured for flooding.
Once your make-safe works have been completed, we will issue a completion certificate. We will then contact you directly about applying for the Homes at Home pilot program.
Once you apply, we expect it to take approximately 4 weeks to assess your eligibility for the program.
Other temporary accommodation
Hotels, motels and caravans and other temporary accommodation will continue to be available for flood-affected residents.
Recovery Support Workers are available to provide one-on-one support. Recovery Support Workers work with residents to navigate their housing options and plan their move out of temporary accommodation and into suitable longer-term accommodation.
We are working with Greater Shepparton City Council to provide further accommodation support for people who have been displaced from flood-affected caravan parks in the region.
If you require housing support, call the Flood Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760.
Reviewed 12 May 2023
