CEO of Coast2Bay Housing Group, Andrew Elvin, has today announced the appointment of Lynda Delaforce as the new Chief Financial Officer from 21 June. This position will be a key part of the C2B Executive team and critical to the implementation of the organisations plans to implement the Partnering for Growth program and secure finance to support the large scale and ongoing development pipeline .
Full media release here
Victorians will soon have a range of new housing options delivered via a ground-breaking partnership approach led by Homes Victoria.
Australia’s leading not for profit housing provider and a key member of the Building Communities consortium, Community Housing Limited (CHL) is delighted to announce the consortium has been nominated as the preferred proponent to redevelop vacant Homes Victoria land in Brighton, Flemington and Prahran.
Full media release here
Australia’s largest not-for-profit community housing provider, Community Housing Limited (CHL) has launched first of its kind framework to measure the impact of safe, affordable, suitable, and quality housing on people’s lives.
Developed over a two-year period with broad customer consultation, CHL’s Social Impact Framework aims to better understand the change that is experienced by customers and communities, where the organisation provides housing.
Managing Director of the CHL Group, Steve Bevington said, “CHL is embarking on this exciting long-term journey towards creating an organisation that is impact led.
” Understanding where change is occurring gives us a powerful insight into how housing creates a long-term impact on people’s lives and their communities. Gaining this understanding will help us improve our services, set national strategic and development directions and provide valuable information to our partners.”
Social Impact Framework visual here
Full release here
Media release: 14/05/2021
Labor’s Housing Australia Future Fund – A Platform to Build On
The Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) welcomes the announcement by Opposition leader Anthony Albanese that a Labor government would set up an Australian Housing Future Fund, to build social and affordable housing.
The proposed $10B fund is forecast to deliver 30,000 social and affordable rental homes over the first five years, along with crisis accommodation for women escaping domestic and family violence, supportive housing for veterans, and improvements to remote Indigenous housing.
“This proposal is a platform to build on” said Wendy Hayhurst, CHIA’s CEO. “We know that Australia is not building anywhere near enough social and affordable rental housing even to keep pace with rising need, never mind tackling the shortfall built up over 25 years of misplaced reliance on the private sector”.
“While Labor’s proposed fund wouldn’t fix the problem by itself, it would start to make inroads into growing housing waiting lists. We also welcome the focus on housing for veterans. Research tells us that insecure housing is a core risk factor for suicidal thoughts amongst veterans”.
She went on to say that, ‘payments from the fund could be used to attract much needed institutional investment into community housing. We need to see the detail, but with an ongoing subsidy the sector could attract the upfront capital essential for building new homes”.
Andrew Hannan, CHIA’s chair, said, “The fund would complement the Federal Government’s housing ownership support measures. These measures will help some moderate income households buy their first home, but for many low income earners, for example in the early childhood and aged care sectors, home ownership is not a realistic, or near term, possibility when rising prices far outstrip their wages. However, I don’t think anyone would argue they also deserve a safe secure place to live.”
Mr Hannan said that the community housing sector was well-placed to work with, and co-invest alongside, governments to tackle this big, but solvable national challenge. “Never mind which party is in power, the Commonwealth must commit to a comprehensive national housing strategy that sets targets to deliver the social and affordable housing Australia so badly needs”.
Contact: Wendy Hayhurst 0421 046 832
Download release here
Media Release: 12/05/2021
Federal Budget: A missed opportunity to invest in Social Infrastructure
The Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) welcomes the considerable investment in the social economy. The increase in Home Care Packages for Older Australians, the expansion in mental health services and suite of measures to help those experiencing domestic and family violence will make a considerable difference to people’s lives. However, overall it is a budget for the well housed.
“While the budget has measures to support home purchase, it does nothing to address the growing numbers of households who are homeless or living in rental stress” said Wendy Hayhurst, CHIA’s CEO. “Social housing as a proportion of Australia’s total dwellings has steadily declined to 4.2%, way below the OECD country average of 7.1%.”
She pointed out that the problem will get worse, “With the Commonwealth’s National Rental Affordability Scheme winding down, many of the 36,000 plus affordable rental homes it supported will be lost”.
Andrew Hannan, CHIA’s chair pointed out that many older Australians, people with mental health conditions and women escaping DFV also need safe, long term affordable rental housing. “The research is clear on this point. For example, homelessness can lead to mental health problems with research indicating that ‘31 per cent of homeless Australians experience a mental health issue, but that only 15 per cent had a mental health issue prior to becoming homeless’.
What Australia needs is a Commonwealth-led national housing strategy that recognises social and affordable rental housing as essential infrastructure and harnesses the financial and policy levers at all levels of government to deliver on a long term housing development program. We know the benefits aren’t just on the social side. Government investment in housing feeds through into increased economic output. Modelling for CHIA demonstrates that a program of 30,000 social and affordable rental homes can raise output by well over $15B.
Mr Hannan said that the community housing sector was well-placed to work with, and co-invest alongside, governments to tackle this big, but solvable national challenge. “In our Federal Pre Budget submission CHIA proposed a range of cost-effective funding models that could make a major dent in Australia’s affordable rental housing shortage” said Mr Hannan said. “We won’t give up hoping the government takes notice and pushes the start button; we’re ready – our members have already identified projects that would deliver over 10,000 homes – and are eager to lead in delivering the national program Australia badly needs”.
Full media release here
On 8 May 2021, under the 2021- 2022 Budget, the Australian Government announced the extension of the FHLDS (New Homes) and the establishment of a new program called the Family Home Guarantee.
The Australian Government has announced a new program called the Family Home Guarantee, which provides eligible single parents with dependants the opportunity to build a new home or purchase an existing home with a deposit of 2 per cent, subject to the individual’s ability to service a home loan.
From 1 July 2021, 10,000 Family Home Guarantees will be made available over four financial years.
The Family Home Guarantee is aimed at single parents with dependants, regardless of whether that single parent is a first home buyer or previous owner-occupier. Applicants must be Australian citizens, at least 18 years of age and have an annual taxable income of no more than $125,000. A fact sheet with further information on eligibility criteria will be available on NHFIC’s website next week.
An additional 10,000 FHLDS (New Homes) places will be available from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022. Find out more about the eligibility criteria for the FHLDS (New Homes). An updated fact sheet on the 2021-22 extension will be available on NHFIC’s website next week.
This has been posted on NHFIC’s website at the following links:
https://www.nhfic.gov.au/what-we-do/first-home-loan-deposit-scheme/
Aboriginal Community Housing Ltd (ACHL) has launched its new website: https://achl.org.au/.
ACHL was established in 2016 as a member of the Community Housing Ltd group of companies. It provides culturally appropriate housing services and support that puts the needs of communities and families first.
Complete with a visually appealing design, using traditional earth colours, the artwork was exclusively created by indigenous artist Ngarrindjeri man, Jordan Lovegrove, whilst the website was developed by Aboriginal agency, Dreamtime. The straightforward and functional lay out was a key consideration, keeping in mind the end user and their need to find information efficiently and with ease.
Featuring a drop down menu function across the top, the website is an excellent resource for tenants, partners and community to learn all about the service offerings and projects of ACHL and confirms the commitment of CHL to develop ACHL as an independent national entity that is solely focused on meeting the housing needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Check out the new ACHL website here.
Homes for Homes has opened a new grant funding round for social and affordable housing projects, with up to $140,000 available for the first time across the Northern Territory and Queensland. From Monday 12 April social and affordable housing providers in the NT and QLD are encouraged to apply for grant funding.
Homes for Homes provides a way for the entire community to help solve the issue of homelessness by raising funds for social and affordable housing through donations from property sales. Thanks to the support from the property industry and private donations, enough funds have been raised to grant to housing providers for the first time in the NT and QLD.
Full media release here
This was a joint online event held on 30 March 2021 with the Poverty & Inequality Partnership and CHIA. The recording link for the session is here.
COVID-19 has posed special risks for Australians experiencing poverty and disadvantage. It has presented a particular health and welfare hazard for people experiencing homelessness. The resulting 2020 economic downturn also placed many private renters at risk of eviction due to income loss. And even in social housing, vulnerable tenants faced the possible loss of vital services, as housing providers could no longer operate normally.
Drawing on newly-published research, this webinar will explore the nature and effectiveness of measures taken by governments, NGOs and rental housing providers to minimise pandemic-triggered risks to homeless people and tenants in 2020. The reports are:
Our guest speakers will also discuss how Australia’s responses have measured up to similar efforts in comparator countries, and what lessons can be learned from these experiences.
We are excited to announce our 2021 Virtual Conference – the Big Australian Housing Build.
27 – 28 April
There has never been a better time to come together. We are seeing the end of the pandemic in Australia, with a shining light to a bigger and better future. We are building thousands of new homes for Victorians in need and creating tens of thousands of jobs to support Victoria’s recovery.
At this conference we will come together to talk about how we can all work towards recovery but also build better and stronger pathways to the future to empower real and sustainable change. The CHIA National and CHIA Victoria, the peak bodies for community housing are joining forces in 2021 to deliver a digital only conference that will talk issues and solutions facing the housing market, and tenants, in Victoria and across Australia.
We will be bringing international and domestic housing experts together in a major online educational and networking event held over two jam-packed days.
Early Bird closes: Tuesday 6 April 2021
Being a virtual conference we are able to offer the event at a very reasonable cost and there are discounts for group bookings so don’t hesitate – take advantage of the early bird rates now.
Shelter WA and Curtin’s Faculty of Business and Law are hosting a four-part economic lecture series – Housing economics for non economists.
These lectures will be of interest to anyone that is keen to learn more about the push and pull factors that affect the WA housing economy.
Each lecture will be followed by a panel discussion and networking for those that are attending in person.
For further information click here
Homes for Homes has announced it will provide $200,000 to support two projects which will increase Australia’s supply of social and affordable housing.
YWCA Canberra will receive $100,000 towards establishing 10 supported dwellings for older women and women with children who are experiencing family violence while Homes for Homes will provide another $100,000 to assist Community Housing Canberra build two homes which will help women transition from custody to secure housing, employment and community connections.
Established by Australia’s largest and most successful social enterprise, The Big Issue, Homes for Homes is an independent, not-for-profit organisation helping to solve one of Australia’s biggest social issues – ending homelessness.
Full media release here
Pictured: Andrew Hannan, CEO CHC Affordable Housing, The Hon Michael Sukkar MP, Gavin Jackman, Homes for Homes, Frances Crimmins, CEO YWCA Canberra, Tracy Longo, Homes for Homes. Photo by Brenton Colley.
Commonwealth Rental Assistance (CRA) – When almost 30% of tenants who had received CRA in 2019/20 were still in rental stress, and with the maximum payment falling further and further below actual rental costs, we asked the question: ‘Is it time for reform?
National Shelter with CHIA organised a briefing by Prof Hal Pawson and Dr Chris Martin from City Futures Research Centre, UNSW about their recently published AHURI research – Demand side assistance in Australia’s private rental market – and explained how for a relatively modest cost we could reform CRA and improve housing outcomes for low income renters.
The City Futures presentation can be viewed here.
The Zoom recording can be viewed here.
The National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) has finalised an innovative funding agreement with Victorian community housing provider HousingFirst, accelerating a program of work to deliver more affordable and social homes in Victoria, including newly built properties.
The deal will allow HousingFirst to access more than $18 million in NHFIC loans and grants for infrastructure works through NHFIC’s National Housing Infrastructure Facility (NHIF).
The infrastructure funding will support a total of 316 homes across four projects in Melbourne’s Brighton and St Kilda areas, and will accommodate people currently on the priority social housing waitlist, with the majority of homes for women over 55.
NHFIC CEO Nathan Dal Bon said the agreement was the first of its kind struck under the NHIF with a Victorian community housing provider and hastened the development of much needed affordable and social housing across Melbourne.
Full media release here
CHIA Qld is excited to advise that bookings are now open for all 9 courses in CHIA QLD’s 2021 Micro-Credential training program – Foundations for Growth.
Employees and Board directors of CHIA Qld member organisations can access these training courses at a discounted price of $150 per course ($180 for non-members).
If you need your member discount code or to become a member of CHIA QLD, please contact Esther or Peta at [email protected]
To find out more, please go to https://chia.learnupon.com/store to set up a log-in and select the training courses that interest you.
More info and dates can be accessed via this flyer here
The Australian Council of Social Service says the Government’s JobSeeker decision today comes as devastating news for people, it is a cut to their current income and is a measly $3.57 a day more than the brutal old Newstart rate.
Australian Council of Social Service CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said:
“This is a heartless betrayal of millions of people with the least, including hundreds of thousands of children, single parents, people with disability, older people, students, people dealing with illness and injury, and others relying on income support.
“Today, the Government has turned its back on those with the least, plunging people further into poverty. It’s a cruel decision that shows a complete lack of humanity and empathy. It comes as devastating news for so many and will have serious consequences for people’s lives, including homelessness and crushing debt.
“I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the courageous people on JobSeeker who have bravely shared their stories. Across the community sector, we are determined to continue working with people on JobSeeker, standing with them to continue to strongly advocate for what we know is right.”
Full media release here
