Productivity Commission logo

Author Archives: chia_adm

Productivity Commission update

Federal News Productivity Commission No Comments
Productivity Commission logo

CHIA and the state and territory peaks are compiling the sector’s response to the Productivity Commission’s draft report Introducing Competition and Informed User Choice In Human Services.

The report, which includes housing, is looking at innovative ways to improve outcomes through introducing the principles of competition and informed user choice whilst maintaining or improving quality of service.

It is expected CHIA Chair Michael Lennon, CHIA CEO Peta Winzar, and NSW Federation of Community Housing’s CEO Wendy Hayhurst will make a presentation to the commission’s public hearing in Canberra on Tuesday, July 25.

The sector response will be made available to CHIA members.

Federal Training No Comments

Swinburne University is recruiting part-time students for its Graduate Certificate of Social Science (Housing Management and Policy). The course is open to those currently working in housing and homelessness who have either a degree or five years relevant work experience from anywhere in Australia.

See the Swinburne website for details.

News Victoria No Comments

Melbourne’s The Age newspaper has today published an opinion piece by CHFV Executive Officer Lesley Dredge that calls for a creative approach to the Victorian Government’s public housing renewal program.

The article reinforces the urgent need to revitalise ageing public housing estates and demonstrates the ability of not-for-profit community housing providers to deliver vibrant, mixed-use precincts that provide tenants with the dignity that comes from having secure, affordable and appropriate housing to call home.

Click here to read the full article.

Feedback on new housing agreement

Budget Federal National Affordable Housing Agreement No Comments
Parliament House

CHIA will feed back to the Federal Government the results of its consultation with community housing providers on the new National Housing and Homelessness Agreement.

The agreement aims to increase the supply of new homes and improve outcomes for Australians across the housing spectrum, particularly those most in need. It is set to replace the National Affordable Housing Agreement, which failed to grow social housing stock or reduce waiting lists.

CHIA has asked the state and territory peaks to consult their members and report back in preparation for a position paper. Members can also provide their feedback directly to CHIA by sending an email to [email protected]

Treasury Insider to speak with CHIA Board

Federal No Comments

 

A Principal Adviser to the Federal Treasury’s Social Policy Division, Marty Robinson, will discuss the details of the budget’s housing package with the CHIA board at their next meeting.

With question marks hanging over the detail and proposed implementation of the swag of measures announced in the budget, Mr Robinson’s insider knowledge will provide board members with valuable insights.

Topics expected to be covered include the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation, the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement, and the Managed Investment Trust measure. The role CHIA can play in shaping the design and implementation of these key national initiatives will also be a key agenda item.

The CHIA Board will meet on June 23.

Budget Federal No Comments

What is your organisation’s reaction to the idea of compulsorily deducting rent payments from your tenants’ welfare payments?

The idea was first announced by the Federal Government in the 2016 Budget but legislation enabling public housing and community housing providers to automatically deduct rent from income support and Family Tax Benefit payments is expected to be introduced this year. The exact circumstances that would trigger compulsory withholding of rent payments have not yet been revealed, but tenants with a poor record of paying their rent will obviously be in scope.

How much impact this measure would have is unknown. After all, many tenants already use Centrepay to make their rent payments.

CHIA is aware that this could be a divisive issue for our members, with some welcoming the security of certain cashflow and prevention of homelessness, others believing it denies tenants the opportunity to be responsible for their own finances.

We expect that this legislation will be considered by a Parliamentary committee and to help us prepare a submission on behalf of community housing providers, CHIA is seeking your input on this issue.  Please click on the link to take part in our first online survey.

Federal Productivity Commission No Comments

The Productivity Commission published its draft report Introducing Competition and Informed Choice into Human Service on June 2 and invited comment.

The brief for the report, which includes housing, is to look at innovative ways to improve outcomes through introducing the principles of competition and informed user choice whilst maintaining or improving quality of service.

With a July 14 submission deadline, the community housing sector has had to mobilise quickly to create a coordinated response to this important report.

Led by CHFV, representatives of all the relevant state-based peaks, CHIA, and PowerHousing have participated in teleconferences on the subject with NSWFHA compiling responses from each of the representatives, which will be used to brief the consultant who has been hired to write the sector’s joint-submission.

The submission will be made available to CHIA members

Tasmania sets its budget

Budget News Tasmania No Comments
Tasmania government logo

Shelter Tas welcomes the State Government’s commitment of $62m over the next 2 years in its Budget 2017-18. While this creates a solid base for implementing Affordable Housing Strategy, without additional investment in social housing, Tasmania will continue to fall well behind meeting demand for affordable housing. We are disappointed that the $60m Stamp Duty windfall created by the current housing boom has not been re-invested into social housing to alleviate the growing rental crisis that is squeezing low income households out of the housing market.

The key features of this year’s Budget that we particularly welcome are:

  • $15m for further implementation of Tasmania’s Affordable Housing Strategy
  • The major projects announced, including the completion of the Devonport Youth Supported Accommodation Facility, the relocation and expansion of the Hobart Women’s Shelter, additional units for young people at Thyne House in Launceston and Moonah
  • $12m for social housing units in major urban centres
  • The establishment of the Affordable Housing Working Group to investigate government land potentially available for increased housing supply. As a participant in this Working Group, Shelter Tas will be seeking an increase in the supply of social housing along with more innovative approaches in the planning system
  • $6m funding for a HomeShare program to assist low-income Tasmanians purchase their own home and the continuation of the First Home Builder’s Grant and reduced Stamp Duty on new house and land packages.

Shelter Tas urges the Tasmanian Government to negotiate away the State’s public housing debt as part of the new national housing agreement that was announced recently in the Federal Budget.  Tasmania can no longer afford to return half the State’s annual funding allocation, almost $16m each year, back to the Federal Government.

Click here for further information on housing and homelessness initiatives in the Tasmanian Budget 2017-18, read the Shelter Tas media release here or ABC article ‘Tasmanian budget report card: Generally good results, but some room for improvement’ here.

Reprinted with thanks to Shelter Tasmania’s eNews

CHFV becomes CHIA Vic

Federal News Victoria No Comments
CHIA Vic logo

CHFV’s board and members have continued to demonstrate their strong support of the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) by agreeing to adopt the trading name CHIA Vic in the new financial year.

The ‘trading as’ name change is part of CHFV’s compact with CHIA, which will it act as the Victorian state branch of the national organisation, whilst retaining its own legal entity. The move is a natural progression of CHFV’s strong support of CHIA, which dates back to 2015.

CHFV will launch a new website and branding in light of the name change.

CHIA expects to successfully complete negotiations with the other state peaks by the end of June this year, which will  clarify how the organisations will work together to advance the community housing industry.

 

Subscribe to CHIA's eNews

Enter your details below to subscribe to the CHIA Newsletter and keep up to date with news and activities from CHIA.