Category Archives: Productivity Commission

The community housing sector has delivered a comprehensive response to the Productivity Commission’s draft report into human services, including housing, which was released in June.

The submission was a collaborative effort between CHIA, the state and territory community housing peaks, and other key industry players.

The submission advocated for a whole-of-system approach represented by a National Affordable Housing Strategy, which would carefully coordinate initiatives across all levels of government, the public, not-for-profit and for-profit sectors and which would make necessary reforms to tax, welfare and housing assistance programs in a coherent way.

“The “broken” system described in the Draft Report derives not from a lack of mechanisms to support consumer choice and a deficit in the accountability of public housing systems, though both need to be tackled. It derives from decades of underinvestment that has left the social housing system struggling to cope with overwhelming demand. A social housing system that is not broken caters not just for the choices of individuals but needs the needs of the community generally – by providing homes that are decent and well-maintained, by supporting inclusive and integrated communities and by ensuring that providers are accountable to tenants and financially sound.”

Representatives from CHIA and the NSW Federation of Housing Associations will present the report to the commission’s public hearing in Canberra on Tuesday, July 25.

Click here to read the full submission.

Productivity Commission update

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.

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