Author Archives: chia_adm

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

24/05/2017

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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

12/02/2017

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Federal News Victoria No Comments

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.

Joint response