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Housing hub home for disabled dwellings

Federal Innovation NDIS News No Comments
Housing Hub website homepage

HOUSING HUB IS HOME FOR DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION

The Housing Hub is a new way for Community Housing Providers to list their disability housing vacancies, and people with disability to find suitable housing.

The housinghub.org.au website:

  • lists housing vacancies for people with a disability, including NDIS housing, existing Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) properties, new SDA builds, non-SDA supported accommodation, private rental and properties for sale
  • enables eligible people to submit an Expression of Interest in NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation housing
  • has a library of useful information about housing options and planning your move.

The Housing Hub will continue to grow and develop nationally, with more vacancies, features and information continually being added. Help make the site a success for people with disability by spreading the word and sharing the link housinghub.org.au 

Landscape shift for affordable housing

Bond aggregator Budget Federal Innovation National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation News No Comments
symposium powerpoint

Landscape shift for affordable housing

Attendees of an affordable housing symposium, held at Griffith University, heard CHIA CEO Peta Winzar speak about the Federal Government’s September release of key reports, draft legislation and a consultation paper, which collectively signal a major shift in government thinking in relation to financing social and affordable housing.

Ms Winzar told the symposium that these four measures, together with some complementary budget measures announced by some state governments this year, have the potential to significantly alter the financing landscape for affordable housing.

  1. The Affordable Housing Working Group,

The Affordable Housing Working Group, which was set up by state and federal treasurers to investigate innovative ways to finance affordable housing has released its report with three recommendations.

Its prescription for closing the funding gap between rents and operating costs contain no surprises – targets, planning mechanisms, tax reform, contributions from affordable housing providers, and so on.  This is a list which could have been written a decade ago.

While it acknowledges the need to increase direct subsidies for affordable housing, the working group’s report stops short of suggesting how this might be done.

The report does contain some good examples of how to increase housing supply at no cost or low cost to government, for example, redevelopment of public housing properties, with the government getting a return either in cash or in replacement dwellings, or government taking a share of the profit from development of government land, in partnership with a developer or a CHO, or cross-subsidisation through a mix of market sale, affordable sale, affordable and social rent in a development

It also makes some valuable recommendations about strengthening the regulatory framework for community housing, and overhauling the national industry development framework for community housing.

  1. Bond Aggregator 

The aim of the bond aggregator (BA) is to raise institutional finance at scale from the wholesale bond market and then lend the money to Community Housing Providers (CHPs) for longer terms and at a cheaper rate than those offered by banks. The CHPs would apply for loans, pay a small fee towards the administrative costs of the BA and their borrowings would then be aggregated.

The government’s proposal is for the Bond Aggregator to sit under the new National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC), but there are still some design issues to be sorted out, for example:

  • Exactly how long the term of the bond would be – probably up to 10 years. This would give CHPs certainty about financing costs and remove the need for them to renegotiate with their bank every three to five years
  • How much cheaper the BA would be – this would depend on the credit-worthiness of the community housing sector and whether the government guarantees the bond
  • the proposal that the borrowing be secured against the title of properties held by the CHP, which raises interesting questions about the conditions under which state governments would allow properties under long-term management by CHPs to be used as security for a loan.

Treasury is seeking feedback on these questions and others as part of its broader consultation on the structure and operation of the NHFIC.

  1. NHIF report

The Commonwealth Government is currently running a consultation on the National Housing Infrastructure Facility (NHIF) and the NHFIC. What’s innovative about this in a housing context is that it is a legislated vehicle at the Commonwealth level but it will be able to invest in City Deals at the state and territory level.

It will also be able to invest in projects at the government’s direction and the aim is for its investment returns to enable it to be self-sustaining over the medium term.

Note that it is intended to prioritise development projects with an affordable housing component.

The consultation paper on the NHFIC and the NHIF is on the Treasury website, consultation closes on 20 October 2017.

You can download Ms Winzar’s presentation here.

 

 

 

 

Federal NDIS News No Comments

The Summer Foundation and AHURI are conducting a national study into the demand & supply of specialist disability accomodation (SDA) NDIS housing and are seeking community housing organisations’support to complete the provider survey.

The main survey aims to obtain information about current SDA dwellings. An optional survey focuses on SDA dwellings that are under construction or soon to be.

Click here to complete the online survey,

All organisations that participate in the survey will receive notification and a final copy of the SDA Housing Demand report. Those that complete the optional section will receive a copy of the early findings, ahead of final report publication.

We are seeking completion of survey responses by the 17th October 2017.

If you have any queries related to completion of the survey, please email [email protected]

If you have any more general enquiries, please contact [email protected]

 

 

CHL supports kids dreams

Innovation News Tasmania No Comments
scholarship winners and CHL CEO Steve Bevington

Community Housing Ltd (CHL) has helped four disadvantaged young people achieve their dreams through its scholarship program, which is now in its fourth year.

CHL awarded the cash grant scholarships to young people in Launceston, Tasmania, to help them achieve their sporting, education or artistic goals and set them up for a career.

The program is now fully self-supporting with active participation from the communities its supported, The previous recipients are all still working or studying in their chosen fields.

Click here to read more.

 

 

News No Comments

 The Community Housing Industry Association of Australia will hold its Annual General Meeting at 11am on Wednesday 29 November 2017 in Room C.21 at the International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney.

Elections that will take place at the AGM 
All positions on the CHIA Board of Directors will fall vacant at the AGM.

There are 12 positions on the CHIA Board:

  • Eight Directors classified as ‘Region Directors’ (one from each state and territory) serve for annual terms
  • Four Directors classified as ‘Additional Directors’ (also known as national directors who are elected by broad vote of full membership across Australia) serve for two-year terms.

As a voting member of CHIA you can nominate for, and vote on, the position of Region Director or Additional director on the CHIA Board and for the positions on your Regional Committee. Please note, however, that if you have not paid your renewal fee for 2017-2018 before 17 October 2017 you will not be eligible.  We encourage members to consider nominating for the Regional Director position and the Additional Director position to ensure the Board of the national industry body benefits from input and perspectives from all states and territories.

Regional Committee members are elected for two year terms with half the Committee members retiring annually by rotation. CHIA Board and Regional Committee members retiring by normal rotation can re-nominate to fill vacancies.

Region Director 
A Region Director is a representative of a State or Territory who has been voted on to the board by voting members in that jurisdiction, other than in New South Wales and Victoria. The Region Director also acts as the Chairperson for the Regional Committee in his or her home jurisdiction.  In New South Wales and Victoria the state peak body will nominate the region director for the CHIA Board.

Nomination Process for Directors 
Candidates for Director Positions must be members of CHIA or employees of a CHIA member. The following steps must be followed in all states except New South Wales and Victoria:

  1. The candidate must be formally nominated, in writing, by two voting members as a candidate for the position of Director. In the case of Regional Director, those members must be from the same jurisdiction as the nominee. The nomination papers must be received thirty business days before the schedule date for the AGM.
  2. The candidate must notify CHIA in writing of their consent to act as Director by 17 October 2017 (30 business days before the AGM).
  3. CHIA notifies members of every candidate for election at least seven days before the AGM.

Voting Process for Directors 
Only full CHIA members have the right to vote. These are known in the constitution as ‘voting members’. Associate members do not have the right to vote in these elections.

Directors will be elected by ordinary resolution of the voting members present in person or represented by proxy at an annual general meeting (effectively a postal vote).

Candidates are only elected if they have received more than 50 per cent of votes cast. If there are two or more candidates for a Regional Director position, the candidate with the most votes will win the election, so long as they have received 50 per cent of votes cast.

Regional Committees 
The constitution obliges the CHIA Board to establish a Regional Committee once there are three or more voting members in that jurisdiction. Regional committees comprise the Region Director for that Region (the chairperson) plus up to 11 additional members. In addition:

  1. There can only be one regional committee per jurisdiction.
  2. A regional committee member need not be a CHIA member or employed by a CHIA member.
  3. Regional committee members are not officers of CHIA merely by holding that position.

In New South Wales and Victoria the state peak body performs the role of the regional committee.

Nominating Regional Committees Representatives 
Candidates in a particular jurisdiction are entitled to nominate for the representative committee in that jurisdiction alone. They must send a nomination form to CHIA by 17 October, 2017 signed by the voting member nominating the candidate.

Next Steps  
Nomination forms for the CHIA Director and Region Committee positions, as well as a Director’s consent form are attached below. Nomination forms should be completed and returned to CHIA before October 17, 2017, in order to be considered for election at the AGM. Those nominating for the CHIA Director position must also complete the Director’s consent form.

Please direct questions about the AGM or election process to Shelly Forceville at the CHIA office via [email protected] or call 0412 804 989.

Download the nomination forms here:

  1. Nomination form for CHIA Region Director
  2. Nomination form for CHIA Additional Director
  3. Nomination form for CHIA Region Committee
  4. Director’s consent form
News No Comments

The Community Housing Federation of Victoria celebrated its brand new day on September 28 when it officially rebranded as CHIA Vic, complete with new marketing collateral, website and signage.

CHIA Vic CEO Lesley Dredge said that now more than ever, the industry needs strong representation at state and national levels and aligning our branding will assist us in providing clear and consistent messaging about our sector.

‘National issues have a state impact and we want to do what we can to promote community housing as a strong and united industry,’ Ms Dredge said.

You can check out the new website at chiavic.com.au and update your contacts by switching the latter part of email addresses with @chiavic.com.au

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

The Commonwealth Treasury has released the Affordable Housing Working Group’s final report on the complementary measures needed to support the bond aggregator.

The working group made three recommendations:

  1. That the Commonwealth and state and territory governments progress initiatives that close the funding gap, including direct subsidies for affordable low-income rental housing, the use of affordable housing targets, planning mechanisms, tax settings, value-adding contributions from affordable housing providers and innovative developments to create and retain stock.
  2. The Commonwealth and state and territory governments and the community housing sector develop and implement a uniform national regulatory framework to support the implementation of a bond aggregator and the growth of the sector nationally.
  3. The National Industry Development Framework for Community Housing be revised and updated in light of the Review of the National Regulatory System for Community Housing.

You can download the full report here.

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

Community housing organisations have an opportunity to provide the Commonwealth Government with feedback on the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC).

The Commonwealth Treasury has released a consultation paper on the potential structure and governance of the new corporate Commonwealth entity, which was announced as part of a series of measures in the 2017-18 Budget aimed at improving housing affordability.

The NHFIC is to have two functions:

1. A $1 billion National Housing Infrastructure Facility (NHIF), which will use tailored financing to partner with local governments to fund infrastructure.  The aim is to accelerate housing supply (the consultation paper proposes that priority be given to projects that include a certain amount of affordable housing).

2. An affordable housing bond aggregator, which will access the wholesale bond market to enable community housing providers to obtain cheaper finance on better terms, to expand supply. A report by consultants EY found the bond aggregator would be able to deliver interest savings of 0.9 to 1.4 per cent on a 10-year debt, depending on the level of government support.

EY estimated that the CHP sector will need to access around $1.4 billion of debt over the next five years, which should provide the necessary demand and scale needed to support affordable housing bond issuances.

The Treasury is now seeking feedback on the potential structure and governance of the NHFIC, and how the NHIF and bond aggregator will work.

CHIA and the state community housing peaks will be developing a joint submission and individual organisations that wish to develop their own submissions will need to do so by the Friday 20 October deadline.

You can download the consultation paper and the final report on the Bond Aggregator here 

Tenancy help on wheels

Innovation News Qld No Comments
tenancy office on wheels

Distance and disaster pose no threat to Churches of Christ Housing Services’ (CofCHSL) ability to deliver its housing management services, with the deployment of an office on wheels that can access far-flung communities throughout Queensland.

CofCHSL commissioned a custom mini-van fit-out with the aim of creating a self-sufficient mobile workspace. The result is a sophisticated office on wheels, powered by solar panels backed up with a petrol generator for when there is no power connection available.

CofCHSL General Manager, Frances Paterson-Fleider says the van is used on a daily basis, but could also be deployed to provide support in the event of a natural disaster.

‘It can provide power to recharge mobile devices including phones, laptops and tablets during an emergency,’ Ms Paterson-Fleider says.

‘It also has a signal booster system for mobile phones and internet connections in remote areas, and a UHF radio, ensuring good communications can be maintained at all times.’

On a daily basis, the purpose-built mobile office is able to deliver vital housing management services across a wide geographical area and encourage greater engagement with tenants to ensure they are able to benefit from the service’s partnering activities, Ms Paterson-Fleider says.

The mobile office offers wireless internet and printing, an electric awning, TV with USB and DVD player, secure storage for lap tops and personal items when on the road, and rear seating that can transport up to five people.

It is also equipped with state-of-the-art security cameras, a refrigerator, microwave oven, and a toilet.

 ‘It can be used as a mini conference centre,’ Ms Paterson-Fleider says. ‘It even has fresh water and waste tanks so you can make a cuppa and wash up.’

 

 

Commonwealth to ‘unlock’ community housing’s potential

Federal National Affordable Housing Agreement National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation News No Comments

The Commonwealth Government wants to ‘unlock the potential of the community housing industry’, according to the Assistant Minister to the Federal Treasurer, Michael Sukkar MP.

Minister Sukkar addressed a well-attended lunchtime forum, organised by CHIA and the Community Housing Federation of Victoria, in Melbourne yesterday, along with Productivity Commissioner Stephen King.

Minister Sukkar told community housing organisations, and stakeholders, ‘There is always going to be a place for state governments’ public housing stock, but increasingly we see the future being community housing providers.’

You can read a media release detailing Minister Sukkar’s very positive comments about community housing by clicking here.

 

Thumbs up to housing boost: NSWFHA

News NSW No Comments

The NSW Federation of Housing Associations (NSWFHA) today welcomed the State Government’s announcement it will provide an extra 1200 homes through Phase 2 of the Social and Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF) and prioritise housing for older women.

 NSWFA Wendy Hayhurst said the 1200 additional homes should bring to 3400 the number of new social and affordable homes provided through the SAHF.

Click here to read NSWFA’s media release.

What impact will the WA Budget have on community housing?

Budget National Affordable Housing Agreement News Western Australia No Comments
headshot of WA Treasurer

The WA State budget was handed down in parliament on Thursday by Treasurer, Ben Wyatt.

This year’s budget is, like last year, set against a backdrop of falling State revenue, a budget deficit and increasing public sector debt. State Government forecasts suggest that it believes the worst is over in terms of the post mining boom slump. However, only modest growth is forecast in terms of State final demand, employment and Government revenue. WA’s population growth has slowed sharply since 2014 and low population growth is expected to continue according to the forward estimates.

Download CHIA’s briefing paper on the WA budget.

NRAS improves reporting for investors

News No Comments

Over the past month, CHIA has been working with the National Association of Housing Providers (NAHP) and the Commonwealth Department of Social Services (DSS) on giving National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) investors more timely advice on the status of their incentive claims.

The aim is to improve transparency and accountability under the NRAS arrangements.

DSS will soon begin publishing lists of the dwellings they have received incentive claims for, the date the claims were lodged and the date they were processed. These regular updates should reduce the number of inquiries to the department and to providers from NRAS property owners about the status of their claims.

By including the date the incentive claim was lodged,  the investor will be reassured that the processing of the claim was progressing rather than wondering if the claim had been submitted at all. This will also give the investor has some idea of when to expect their Refundable Tax Offset certificate or payment from the approved provider.

This is one of a series of process improvements that DSS, CHIA, and NAHP have been working on in response to the unflattering audit report on the scheme that was released last year.

Providers involved in the NRAS would have noticed that the department has reduced its turn-around time for processing claims to an average of 32 days this year, which is roughly a third of the time taken in past years.

CHIA appoints Vice Chair

News No Comments

The CHIA Board has appointed John Nicolades as Vice-Chair, to share some of Chair Michael Lennon’s representational and advocacy workload.

John is already a CHIA Board member, fulfilling the role of the Region Director for New South Wales.

In addition to being the CEO of Bridge Housing, John has held senior positions in the NSW Government and the community services sector.

Michael Lennon says the need to create a vice-chair position is evidence of the organisation’s sustained growth over the past 12 months.

Michael says John was the obvious choice for the role, given the commitment he has demonstrated to the development of a strong national peak body.

20,000 more properties needed each year: CEDA

Budget Federal News No Comments

Australia needs  20,000 new affordable properties each year to house low income people, according to one recommendation by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA).

CEDA’s released its report Housing Australia, which warns that Australia’s housing affordability challenge could have long-term budget and political implications as more people retire without owning a home, or end up on the city fringe.

CHIA CEO Peta Winzar was on the panel at the Melbourne launch of the report.

Í welcomed the Commonwealth Government’s budget package as an important first step in addressing the issues surrounding housing affordability, but the CEDA Report shows clearly how much work still needs to be done,’ Ms Winzar says.

Ms Winzar also urged the Victorian Government to identify more government land to be developed or redeveloped for affordable housing.

CEDA Research and Policy Committee Chairman, Professor Rodney Maddock says, ‘Prolonged housing affordability issues will result in more people entering retirement without owning their home and low socioeconomic households pushed to outer or regional areas where transport infrastructure is poor and job prospects are lower.

‘In the long term this could have budget implications for governments as more people become reliant on government assistance,’ he says.

‘With most Australians choosing to live in our major cities, it is likely the trend of more people living in apartments and more long term renters will become permanent and we need to accommodate this better with increased protections for renters.

‘In addition, we also need to ensure better transport and infrastructure to accommodate increased inner city density and to connect outer suburban developments to employment hubs.’

You can download a copy of the CEDA report here.

Focus on NAHA

Federal National Affordable Housing Agreement News No Comments

With house prices — and more recently, rents —  surging in the Eastern State population hubs, it is no surprise that housing affordability has become a key political issue.

The Federal Government has begun to set its mind about how best to ease the pressure on those feeling the negative effects of rising prices, principally aspiring first time buyers, low income renters and the homeless.

Against this backdrop, the performance of the National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) has come under intense scrutiny and Productivity Commission data released earlier this year provides plenty of evidence that meaningful reform is required. Despite over $9 billion dollars being invested by the Commonwealth since its inception in 2009, NAHA has underperformed against virtually every performance indicator.

In 2016, the number of public housing dwellings in Australia was down more than 16,000 on the 2009 numbers and almost 21,000 less than in 2007.

The number of low income renters in rental stress has risen significantly in some states, with capital cities seeing the steepest rises. Note that this has occurred in tandem with a 20 per cent increase in spending on Commonwealth Rent Assistance since 2012.

Public housing waitlists have grown, not shrunk, and almost 20 per cent of public housing dwellings and 11 per cent of community housing dwellings are not of ‘an acceptable standard’.

There is a silver lining: the community housing industry has doubled in size since 2009 and now manages over 80,000 dwellings nationwide in a system that is considerably more sophisticated and innovative than it was a decade ago. Moreover, homelessness alleviation programs operating with NAHA support have yielded some very positive results in terms of addressing the housing and support needs of those at the sharpest end of the housing continuum.

The Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) believes that measures announced in the May Federal budget show that the Commonwealth is interested in fundamental reform and, hearteningly, that it believes community housing providers have a significant part to play in that reform agenda.

At the same time, the Productivity Commission’s latest draft report Introducing Competition and Informed User Choice into Human Services contains several game changing suggestions for reform. These include: moving to a single model of financial assistance that would see public housing tenants become eligible for CRA; creating competitive neutrality between all social housing providers including state housing authorities; and, the expansion of tenancy support services to eligible households in the private rental system.

Due to the nature of the scope of the report, however, it is largely silent on how to address perhaps the most fundamental question of all — how to grow the social and affordable housing system.

CHIA and the state-based peak bodies provided a joint response to the draft report in July.

Policy measures in the budget, combined with the work of the Productivity Commission, have set the scene for the reform of the NAHA.  There can be no sacred cows; the case for structural reform regarding how the nation’s social housing system is funded, managed and regulated is irrefutable.

CHIA will continue to argue that a central pillar of reform must be enabling the community housing system to continue its growth trajectory, harnessing its ability to attract private finance, developing new housing stock, providing services that sustain tenancies and creating pathways to the mainstream housing system for tenants capable of making that transition.

Barry Doyle, CHIA Project Director WA

 

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