Author Archives: chia_adm

Innovation News NSW No Comments

Link Housing’s community art exhibition, ‘No Place Like Home’ is on again. Following the successful launch last month, the exhibition is now travelling to other venues across Northern Sydney from October 12 to November 1.

Come along to one of the opening nights or visit during the gallery opening hours. See the dates and details below.

Link Housing is proud to welcome you to this leading community art exhibition aimed at raising awareness about the need for affordable, safe and secure housing.

Exhibiting artists and artworks reflect the theme: ‘No Place Like Home’. Mediums range from original music, sculptures to paintings and traditional canvas art.

See Facebook for details.

Federal Innovation News No Comments

CHIA has thrown its support behind a draft bill to establish a three-year pilot program that would enable landlords to claim a tax offset of up to $2,000 per annum for energy upgrades to rental properties leased at $300 per week or less.

In a submission to the Senate Estimates Committee’s review of the draft bill, CHIA CEO Peta Winzar says, ‘We consider the program would provide a valuable incentive for landlords renting properties at the more affordable end of the spectrum to invest in measures that could improve the energy security of low-income households.

‘Energy efficiency measures such as those contemplated in this Bill can reduce energy demand across the whole system, delaying the need for power in infrastructure. In addition to improving energy security for low-income tenants, this could reduce costs to State and Territory governments over the longer term.’

The Committee is required to report by 23 November 2018. A copy of the report will be published on the Committee’s website.

Download CHIA’s submission.

Homelessness News Victoria No Comments

The Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) in Victoria has released an interactive Homelessness Heat Map which gives a true picture of homelessness across the state.

The interactive map is based on data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and has been analysed by Victorian state electorates.

It was developed to coincide with the launch of CHP’s Victorian Homelessness Election Platform, a ‘blueprint’ for ending homelessness in Victoria.

You can click on the map to see a break-down of how many people are experiencing homelessness of different forms in every electorate in Victoria.

News No Comments

The Macquarie Group has pledge to donate a total of$50 million, over five years, to drive social change.

The funds are to be distributed globally among five NFPs for projects that show lasting community benefit and have a ‘defined approach to measuring social impact’.

Macquarie Group CEO, Nicholas Moore says, ‘Our people have devoted thousands of hours to work with non-profit organisations around the world and contributed over $330 million to drive social change at the local community level.

‘We are delighted to mark our 50th anniversary by extending this tradition with a further $50 million commitment to initiate or build on bold ideas which address areas of social need.’

Applicants must be a registered NFP  with aminimum annual revenue of $4 million, a board of directors, and audited financial statements.

Macquarie Group Foundation chair Shemara Wikramanayake says, ‘We encourage non-profits to be imaginative in their thinking about the enduring outcomes they can achieve with this funding.’

Applications are now open and close in mid-November, with winners announced in May 2019.

Member news News Northern Territory No Comments

Venture Housing Company Limited (Venture) has lodged a development application for the construction of five new houses for key workers on low to moderate incomes in Tennant Creek.

NT Indigenous enterprise, Dice Australia, is also partnering with Venture in the provision of solar power to these dwellings, thus rendering them even more affordable for their eventual tenants.

Some eighteen months ago, well before the recent sad events, Venture identified and determined the clear need for affordable housing in Tennant Creek, and undertook considerable research of and engagement within the town, particularly noting the constraints on employers, and, ultimately, the local economy, in the successful recruitment and retention of low to moderate income employees caused by the lack of safe, well-built and affordable housing.  This engagement has culminated in today’s announcement of Venture’s initial Tennant Creek affordable housing development project at 90 Peko Road.

This small, unit titled intentional community of five single dwellings will be comprised of two three-bedroom with two bathroom homes and three one-bedroom and bathroom homes, in a safe and appropriately landscaped environment.

Bond aggregator Federal Member news National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation News No Comments

Potential borrowers from the Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator (AHBA) can now complete the Expression of Interest forms online to start the process.

To help the National Housing Finance Investment Corporation (NHFIC) assess eligibility for AHBA loans, the EOI form asks for some basic information about your community housing organisation, and some details of the amount you may be interested in borrowing; how you plan to use the funds (eg refinance, construction), what security you are offering, and so on.

Note: the EOI form is NOT a formal application for a loan. Only if the EOI is assessed as suitable to proceed will you be asked to submit a loan application.

After the form has been submitted and assessed, the NHFIC will assign a relationship manager to shepherd each community housing organisation through the process. Pacific Capital Partners have been appointed to assist CHOs with the loan origination process, and the NHFIC also has its own in-house originator.

Head over to the NHFIC website to have a look at the EOI form, the Bond Aggregator Guidelines and the FAQs.

If you want more information, pick up the phone to Pacific Capital (02) 8222 8500 or email or call the NHFIC on 1800 549 767.

Federal NRAS Qld No Comments

According to data from realestate.com.au, NRAS (National Rental Affordability Scheme) was the second most common search term for people looking at property to rent or buy in Queensland in searches on realestate.com.au in the six months to May 31.

The real estate website noted 51,416 searches for NRAS in that time frame, with the a Commonwealth Government program rent subsidy program. Taking first place was ‘pool’ with 197,487 searches.

Federal Innovation News No Comments

Independent Senator Tim Storer has presented a bill to Parliament that seeks to provide landlords with a $2000 tax credit when they put energy efficient upgrades into rentals that are offered at $300 a week or less.

Senator Storer says, ‘It is estimated that improved energy efficiency in homes could cut energy consumption by up to 50 per cent in many households and cut energy bills by at least another $150 a year.

‘My proposals would fix an anomaly in the tax code where landlords are able to claim the cost of repairs, for example for old inefficient air-conditioning units that do not meet today’s minimum standards.

‘However they are not able to claim for energy efficiency upgrades that would make a big difference to so many who are finding energy bills unaffordable.

‘The proposals would improve the lives of many Australians on low incomes, alleviate anxiety, improve their health, leave more money in their pockets and start to improve the affordability, reliability and sustainability of our energy system.’

CHIA will present a submission on the Inquiry into the bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (improving the Energy Efficiency of Rental Properties) Bill 2018.

The submission will be posted on our website in due course.

 

Yass we need more housing

Homelessness Member news News NSW No Comments

Argyle Housing, a not-for-profit organisation providing affordable and social housing in NSW, has seen a worrying rise in requests for housing services in Yass.

In an article published in the Yass Tribune, CEO Wendy Middleton said, ‘Of the properties that we manage in Yass, all 95 are allocated to social housing and in many cases are not enough compared to the list of people waiting for or needing social housing.’

Adding to the cause for concern locally, Ms Middleton said usually the organisation works with support agencies to assist in providing social housing, but recently in Yass, the office is dealing with enquiries from people off the street.

There are many causes of homelessness. They can include domestic violence, unemployment, mental health, drugs and alcohol and lack of affordable housing. Ms Middleton said it’s this last cause that’s contributing to the issue in Yass.

‘We are experiencing people coming in for housing packs and asking to be placed onto the NSW Housing Register as the Yass rental market has priced a lot of people out of affordability,’ she said.

‘The rising cost of housing is not specific to just one demographic, it affects all people including single, low-income earners, the young and the elderly.

‘Our staff have also experienced a number of people coming in asking for a referral to support agencies as they are quite often left trying to keep a roof over their heads but are struggling to buy groceries and pay bills.’

Argyle Housing is always looking for homeowners and real estate agents willing to provide housing at less than market rate to give to those in need.

Read more…

Life post NRAS

Build to Rent Federal NRAS No Comments

Since mid-2017, CHIA has been talking to the Commonwealth Department of Social Services about the impending wind down of the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS).

Athough 198 incentives will expire in 2018, there are still 1,850 incentives still to be delivered  so the overall pool of active NRAS dwellings will not actually fall until 2020.

After 2020, the rate of NRAS expiries will ramp up to a peak of 9,178 in 2024. By 2026, a total of 36,721 will have left the system.

Community housing organisations currently hold about 40 per cent of al  NRAS incentives. Those NRAS subsidies are worth $140m pa plus a rental stream of between $210m and $500m. This is significant, given the 2017-18 Report on Government Services noted the total income from social housing rents was about $600m a year.

CHIA’s suggestions for easing the transition included:

a reduced rate NRAS (say $5,000) for another few years to encourage investors to keep the dwellings as affordable
putting any ‘handed back’ NRAS incentives into a pool and offering them to landlords to maintain expiring properties in the scheme [no cost to budget]
an ‘availability subsidy’ to take the place of NRAS to enable Community housing organisations to offer rental subsidies for  particular groups, such as single aged renters or family violence survivors.

NRAS exits

Calendar Year Number of Dwellings By State or Territory
ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA Total
2018 67 5 24 7 95 198
2019 32 433 181 179 59 286 50 1,220
2020 157 271 323 262 128 96 131 1,368
2021 393 380 12 1,080 515 153 261 266 3,060
2022 746 457 150 2,696 517 150 1,296 352 6,364
2023 93 605 125 2,499 806 25 1,356 1,110 6,619
2024 542 1,140 188 2,845 1,078 321 2,143 921 9,178
2025 60 1,188 532 603 240 98 501 891 4,113
2026 361 2,008 50 2 596 1,584 4,601
Total 2,384 6,549 1,057 10,232 3,623 1,537 6,034 5,305 36,721

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DSS has kindly shared some unpublished data on the NRAS incentives held by community housing organisations that will expire year by year, state by state. The bulk of the community housing owned NRAS properties are in Queensland.

Federal News No Comments

CHIA has written to Australia’s new Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, and Federal Housing Minister, Sarah Henderson, to congratulate them on their new roles.

We have also requested meetings with both to discuss the development of a comprehensive, long-term national housing strategy to address the challenge of housing affordability.

Read more about Sarah Henderson.

ABCB forums to examine accessibility standards 

Member news NDIS News Regulation No Comments

The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has commenced a new project to examine whether a minimum accessibility standard for housing should be included in the National Construction Code. Accessible housing is any housing that includes features to enable use by people either with a disability or transitioning through their life stages.

The ABCB will be holding morning consultation forums in each capital city, that will focus on its Accessible Housing Options Paper, which will be released in advance of the consultation forums.

All forums will be free to attend, although booking is essential.

Forum dates are to be confirmed, but at this stage are expected to be:

Canberra – Monday 15 October
Sydney -Tuesday 16 October
Perth – Friday 19 October
Adelaide – Thursday 25 October
Darwin – Friday 26 October
Brisbane – Tuesday 30 October
Melbourne – Wednesday 31 October
Hobart- Thursday 1 November

You can ensure you don’t miss out by registering your interest

Member news News No Comments

Swinburne University is calling on Frontline workers who support people with a history of homelessness to participate in a research study that aims to learn more about their knowledge of brain injury.

Frontline workers includes supportive housing workers, case managers, counsellors who work with homeless clients, workers in the specialist  homelessness  services and others.

Study participants will be asked to complete a survey that is expected to take 15 to 20 minutes.

Click here for details.

Innovation Member news News No Comments

The Commonwealth Government’s Volunteer Grants round closes at 2:00 pm on 18 September 2018.Volunteer Grants aim to support the efforts of Australia’s volunteers by:

-providing small amounts of money that organisations and community groups can use to help their volunteers
-forming part of the Government’s work to support the volunteers who help disadvantaged Australian communities and encourage inclusion of vulnerable people in community life.

See the Funding Round Application page for details.

Elderly to be at home in pub

Member news News NSW No Comments

Anglicare plans to expand its redevelopment of the Steelworks Hotel in Port Kembla to provide additional affordable rental housing.

The welfare agency already has permission to turn the heritage-listed pub into a 22-bed residence for older people at risk of homelessness but is seeking to add an additional seven self-contained rooms in a separate building, following the acquisition of adjacent land.

The project is part of the organisation’s efforts to cater for the increasing number of people at risk of becoming homeless as they age.

Anglicare’s development manager Dean Cotter says, ‘We are committed to enriching and strengthening local communities through the provision of integrated accommodation, care and support services that are sensitive to cultural, financial and social needs of the people who will live in our homes.

‘The new proposal will allow Anglicare to assist 30 people primarily aged over 60 who are struggling to live on low incomes.

‘The project will be providing support services to rental tenants that foster independence and enable them to feel a part of their local community…and build meaningful relationships with others living with and around them.

The design for the pub will deliver 22 bed-sitter style rooms with private bathrooms and kitchenettes over two levels, with a lift included.

Construction of the first set of dwellings is expected to be completed in mid 2019.

Anglicare Tasmania responds to youth homelessness

Member news News Tasmania No Comments

Anglicare has opened a supported youth accommodation facility in Devonport to support young people as they move into adulthood.

Eveline House features 25 units, five of them purpose-built for people with a disability. Each tenant has a self-contained unit with access to a laundry, gym, common areas, outdoor spaces and a games room.

Anglicare CEO Chris Jones says the complex is a much-needed response to youth
homelessness in Tasmania.

‘Eveline House provides tenants with safe, affordable housing, as well as opportunities to participate in community activities, education, employment and training. It is a vibrant place where young people are encouraged to build on their existing strengths and capabilities.’

Anglicare manages similar facilities in Launceston (Thyne House) and Hobart (Trinity Hill).

Tenancies at Eveline House are for young people aged 16-24 years who are on a low income and eligible for social housing. The general tenancies at Eveline House are already full and two of the purpose-built units are occupied, with talks underway with the National Disability Insurance Scheme about the final three places.

Earlier this year, Anglicare’s Rental Affordability Snapshot showed that for young people  receiving Youth Allowance, there were no affordable rental options anywhere in Tasmania.

‘No Tasmanian should have to worry about where they’ll sleep that night or how they’ll afford to eat,’ Dr Jones says.

‘Long term, affordable housing is foundational for people to fully participate in education, training and employment’.

Anglicare manages similar facilities in Launceston (Thyne House) and Hobart (Trinity Hill) and Dr Jones says Eveline House was made possible with the support of the Tasmanian Government and many advocates in Tasmania’s North West.

‘I look forward to seeing how the young people who live here will use their strengths and skills to contribute to this community.’

 

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