Emergency housing support for young people in crisis
The Housing Establishment Fund (HEF) is a Victorian Government initiative that provides financial assistance to young people who are experiencing homelessness or a housing crisis. Managed by FAN, HEF helps cover the immediate costs of safe, short-term accommodation or essential items needed to secure or maintain housing.
What Can HEF Be Used For?
HEF may be used to cover:
- Rent in advance
- Bond
- Removalist costs
- Whitegoods
- Crisis accommodation
- Rental arrears (to avoid eviction)
Please note: HEF cannot be used to establish or maintain subsidised housing such as public housing or transitional housing where rent is already reduced. However, in public housing tenancies, HEF may be used for removalist costs or whitegoods.
LGBTIQA+ HEF vs General HEF
FAN delivers two HEF streams:
- General HEF is available to young people aged 16–25 who are living in the Inner or Outer Eastern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne and are experiencing housing crisis or homelessness.
- LGBTIQA+ HEF is designed specifically for young people aged 16–25 who identify as part of the LGBTIQA+ community. This support is available statewide across Victoria, regardless of where the young person lives.
Young people who are not part of the LGBTIQA+ community can still access General HEF, provided they
meet the geographic eligibility.
Who Can Apply?
Young people can access HEF by:
- Contacting FAN directly
- Having a support worker or case worker submit a referral on their behalf
To be eligible for either stream of HEF, applicants must:
- Be aged 16 to 25
- Be experiencing homelessness or a housing crisis
- Meet income and asset limits
- (For non-crisis HEF) pay no more than 55% of their gross income on rent
You’ll also need to provide supporting documents, such as proof of income, ID, and tenancy or rental arrears paperwork. We’ll talk you through what’s required.
How to Access HEF
- Call FAN on 03 9890 2673
- We’ll do a quick eligibility check and book an appointment
- If eligible, we’ll complete the application with you
- Call FAN for an initial HEF eligibility check
- Request the appropriate application form (General or LGBTIQA+)
- Submit the completed form along with supporting documents and client signature