I used to work in community housing in Sydney. Each property had a market rent value based on the typical rental price for that kind of property in that area. The rent a tenant actually paid was based on their income, 25% from memory. Rent assistance is included in this income. The maximum rent would be the market value. There were a number of tenants who could have easily gone out into the private rental market as they easily paid the market rent on their property but there was much more security for them by staying - no risk of the property selling and having to move, if they lost their job the rent would go down, etc. Can you speak to your housing officer (or whatever they might be called in that organisation) and ask them how they work out the market rent for your property and how they work out what rent you pay? They should be able to explain all this to you.