Author Archives: chia_adm

CHIA QLD: Community Housing – Challenge and Opportunity

Qld No Comments

Extract from Chair’s Report CHIA Qld AGM 2020

As 2020 comes to a close and CHIA Queensland’s Board and members plan for the future, one thing is clear; demand for affordable housing in Queensland continues to grow and the community housing industry is well-placed to respond.

One of the biggest challenges over the next few years is the progressive wind-down of the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS). This could see 10,000 affordable rentals withdrawn from the Queensland market by the end of 2026. The NRAS wind-down will place many lower income households under financial stress at a time when vacancy rates are shrinking and affordable rentals are harder and harder to find. The sector will need to work with government to develop sustainable models of affordable housing supply that can fill the gap left by NRAS.

Even before the advent of COVID-19, it was clear that substantial additional investment in Queensland’s social housing portfolio is urgently needed. Rental affordability pressure across the State has driven up the number of people on Queensland’s One Social Housing Register from 17,000 to 25,000 over the 2019-2020 year. Unfortunately, we can expect to see many more Queensland households in rental stress once the Federal Government COVID-19 support via Jobkeeper and the Jobseeker Supplement is withdrawn in 2020-2021.

Read the full extract here

NHFIC release first flagship housing report

News No Comments

The National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) has released its first flagship
report producing five-year projections for housing supply and demand across Australia’s major cities
and regional areas.

The State of the Nation’s Housing 2020 report assesses the number of new households that are
expected to form (new housing demand) over the next five years, the number of new net dwelling
additions expected to come on-line, and annual balance of new supply and demand, while also
assessing housing affordability

Full media release here

NHFIC Capacity Grants: Key Dates 2019

not published No Comments

Sector workshops took place in the following capital cities:

7th May, 3pm to 5pm: Auditorium of the NSW Teachers Association, 23-33 Mary Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

8th May, 1.30pm to 4pm: CHIA Victoria offices, 1/128 Exhibition Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

9th May, 10.30am to 1pm: Room C, level 3, Christies Conference Spaces, 320 Adelaide Street, Brisbane

17th May, 2019: Release of Panel Membership EOI. To be released at 10AM on ‘The Panel,’ next section of the webpage.

7th June, 2019: 5pm: EOI closes

13th June, 2019, 10am – 11.30am: ACT NHFIC seminar. Reception Room at the ACT Legislative Assembly, London Circuit, Canberra

19th June, 2019, from 10.30am: NHFIC Professional Advisory Services Workshop for Tier 2 & 3 (RSVP by 14th, June). CHCSA meeting room, 283 – 285 Payneham Road, Royston Park

27th June, 2019:  Panel members announced see panel section below

1st July, 2019: Grants ‘open for business’

Link and Wentworth merger given the green light

News No Comments

Two of Australia’s leading Tier 1 community housing providers, Link Housing and Wentworth Community Housing, have announced they are joining forces. The two organisations have signed a merger agreement with the intention to formally become Link Wentworth Housing Ltd (Link Wentworth), on 31 March 2021.

Government endorsement was recently received and member approvals finalised at Link Housing’s Annual General Meeting on November 26, 2020, giving the merger the green light. The Board has appointed former Housing NSW CEO, Mike Allen, as Chair-elect, with Link Housing CEO, Andrew McAnulty announced as CEO-elect.

The merger of these two major Tier 1 community housing providers means Link Wentworth will be one of the largest community housing providers in New South Wales, able to leverage its scale to enable greater provision of social and affordable housing to those most in need.

For the full media release click here

Link Housing enlists Bibi Barba to symbolise reconciliation during NAIDOC Week 2020 celebrations and the launch of Link Housing’s first Reconciliation Action Plan

News No Comments

Bibi Barba is an Indigenous artist who combines her grandmother’s storytelling and personal connection to the land as her inspiration for producing artworks that combine traditional culture and contemporary style. Born in Queensland and raised in Sydney, Bibi remains connected to her Wiradjuri tribe on Keppel Island as a salt-water Woka Woka woman, recognising her lifelong association with sea and land.

As an artist for 35 years, Bibi has explored many different career paths including as a designer, artist and law student. Today she continues to be an advocate for artist rights and is recognised internationally as a respected voice in areas of Indigenous education and advocacy.

Full media release here

CHIA & NHFIC: results from the COVID-19 impact interviews

News No Comments

CHIA & NHFIC interviewed leaders from 30 community housing organisations during June and July 2020 to find out how they responded to the challenges of the first wave of the COVID-19 crisis which emerged in Australia in March 2020.

The report outlines the key findings from those interviews as they relate to business continuity, financial impacts, general customer services, asset management, housing management, access and demand, human resources, learning from COVID-19.

CHIA’s report: ‘Responding to COVID-19: What we learned from talking to CHOs’  can be accessed here

NHFIC’s report ‘Australia’s social and affordable housing sector: A resilient response to COVID-19’ can be accessed here.

Audio file of the presentation session here

Venture Housing announce new development in Tennant Creek

News No Comments

Territory-proud, registered Community Housing Provider and ‘for purpose’ charity, Venture Housing Company Limited (Venture), is pleased to announce the successful completion and acquisition of five (5) new houses, for rental to key workers on low to moderate incomes, at 90 Peko Road, Tennant Creek, under a turnkey contract delivery by local builder, Far Northern Contractors Pty Ltd T/A T&J Contractors. NT Indigenous enterprise, Dice Australia, was also involved in the project, providing solar power to these dwellings, thus rendering them even more affordable for their tenants.

Full media release here

Federal Budget  –  a missed opportunity to meet social housing need while growing Australia’s economy and saving construction jobs

News No Comments

The Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) is disappointed that the 2020 Federal budget contains no plans to kick start the recovery through investing in social housing. “The Master Builders construction forecasts have pointed to a 27% fall in home building, with massive implications for employment in an industry that supplies over 9% of Australia’s jobs” said Wendy Hayhurst, CHIA’s CEO. “While the budget has some measures to support home builders, these are unlikely to be anywhere near sufficient to compensate for the drop in demand caused by zero migration and high rates of financial stress.

“While CHIA welcomes the $1 billion extension of the Commonwealth Government guarantee supporting the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation’s (NHFIC) lending but this on its own is insufficient to drive substantial new social and affordable housing construction.

For the full media release click here

National Affordable Housing Alliance Established

News No Comments

Australia’s peak housing and property groups have joined with the ACTU, ACOSS and Industry Super Australia to form a national alliance focused on increasing the provision of social and affordable housing across Australia.

Investment in housing as part of a stimulus program as Australia navigates the economic impacts of the COVID-19 health pandemic is one critical way that governments can work with industry to help re-boot economic activity.

The core members of the Alliance are:
 Housing Industry Association,
 National Shelter,
 Property Council of Australia,
 Community Housing Industry Association,
 Australian Council of Trade Unions,
 Australian Council of Social Services,
 Master Builders Australia,
 Industry Super Australia, and
 Homelessness Australia.

For the full media release click here

Everybody’s Home: nationwide coalition pushes for 30,000 new homes

News No Comments

More than 300 organisations have signed an open letter calling for a social housing construction boom, similar to that of the post-war era

The Everybody’s Home campaign is pushing for Australia to build 30,000 new homes in the next four years, not only to deliver families much needed secure housing but to also in a bid to create some 18,000 jobs.

The broad coalition of signatories includes prominent national bodies, such as ACOSS, the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA), Anglicare Australia, YWCA Australia, ACTU, Country Women’s Association, Mission Australia, St Vincent de Paul Society, the Salvation Army, National Shelter and Homelessness Australia. Several city councils from across the country have also signed on, including Lismore City Council, City of Greater Dandenong, Cardinia Shire Council and Strathfield Council.

“Australia can kill two birds with one stone if it directs some of the massive stimulus spending at the coming budget to social housing,” said Kate Colvin, national spokesperson of the Everybody’s Home campaign.

Full media release here

Open letter (PDF) here

CHIA: Housing survey says at least 12 500 shovel ready homes ready to go

News No Comments

Australia could start beating the recession immediately by investing in social housing construction, with more than 12,500 new affordable homes ready to be built across the country if a Federal stimulus package included in the October 6 budget, new data released today reveals.

The survey by the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) shows not for profit housing providers have shovel ready projects that would deliver 12,500 new homes and almost 7000 jobs within the next five years.
More 6,000 new homes could begin construction within the next 6 months if they are supported by Federal Government investment.

Full media release here

Survey here

United call from national housing and homelessness leaders to Federal Government to invest in social housing in pre-Budget Submission

News No Comments

A coalition of national housing and homelessness peak bodies have released their pre-Budget Submissions to the Federal Government with one united call – invest in social housing as economic stimulus. The Social Housing Acceleration and Renovation Program (SHARP) underpins all three budget submissions from Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA), National Shelter, and Homelessness Australia.

The Social Housing Acceleration and Renovation Program (SHARP) involves:
1. Wave 1 – social housing maintenance and upgrading
2. Wave 2 – acquisition of sites and properties requiring renovation / completion which are suitable for social housing
3. Wave 3 – shovel ready development projects
4. Wave 4 – longer term new development projects

Read the full media release here

CHL’s new apprenticeship program is upskilling Tasmanians

News No Comments

CHL have developed an apprenticeship program that helps young Tasmanians such as Billy Cadman. Billy joined CHL in 2016 as a trainee apprentice. Since then he has been promoted to Maintenance Assistant Supervisor and was also one of the first members of the CHL Aboriginal Employee Alliance actively advocating for opportunities for Indigenous staff and tenants.

According to Steve Bevington, Managing Director of CHL Group, “It is wonderful to see that Billy’s hard work has got him the recognition and opportunity he deserves. One of the company’s mission is to provide employment opportunities and to develop job skills within the communities it works. We are proud to run a traineeship program since the organisation took over the management of 1,200 public housing properties in the northern suburbs 7 years ago.

“To date we have had 18 trainees, out of which 15 are currently engaged in different areas such as general admin, carpentry, horticulture. 10 trainees have been employed permanently with CHL after the completion of their traineeships. This is a wonderful outcome for the trainees, the community and for CHL,” adds Steve.

Full media release here

New App launched to help community housing tenants save money on utilities

News No Comments

Residents of WA’s leading not for profit social and affordable housing provider, Community Housing Limited (CHL), are set to take part in a pilot program to trial a new App that will assist in managing the consumption of energy and utilities delivering substantial savings for low income families and also help in reducing their carbon footprint.

Funded by Lotterywest and developed by social enterprise Climate Clever on behalf of the Rise Network’s consortium of not for profit housing providers, the ‘Bill Buddy’ App is designed to help users measure, monitor, compare and reduce their consumption of energy and utility bills. It will also calculate their carbon footprint and show how they can make a positive impact to the environment by making changes to the way they use appliances and utilities.

Managing Director of CHL Steve Bevington said CHL is not only focused on developing innovative housing options for those experiencing housing difficulty but is dedicated to helping residents sustain their tenancy through a wide range of such initiatives.

Full media release here

CHL delivers 24 brand new affordable homes in Melbourne’s north east

News No Comments

Leading not for profit social and community housing provider, Community Housing Ltd (CHL) has announced the completion of twenty-four (24) brand new affordable homes in Melbourne’s growing north-eastern suburb of Mernda – an initiative made possible by a three-way partnership between the philanthropic, public and not for profit sector.

The $6.1 million development has been jointly funded by the Philanthropic organisation Peter and Lyndy White (P&LW) Foundation who is the majority contributor with over $4.2million followed by $1.2 million from the Victorian Government’s Social Housing Growth Fund and the remainder by CHL. Designed and built by CHL, the new homes will be rented out to eligible people with local community links, at subsidised rent.

Full media release here

 

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.