New CFO for Coast2Bay in QLD

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…

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CHIA QLD: Foundations for Growth

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…

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A Queensland community housing provider is ‘over the moon’ after winning an UDIA’s Affordable Housing award for what it has dubbed Australia’s first truly affordable build to rent project.

Churches for Christ Housing Services took out the award for its 50-dwelling townhouse complex in Kallangur, in Brisbane’s northern suburbs. The development, which includes a community centre, was built on well-located land gifted to the organisation by local philanthropists Ian and Neva Handy.

CoC Housing Services General Manager Frances Paterson-Fleider says the successful partnership of local philanthropists, funding by their parent organisation Churches of Christ in Queensland, and a local builder National Construction Management (who they had used previously) who was willing to provide a fixed price for the project, all assisted to make it affordable.

Frances says her organisation was delighted at the win, particularly knowing it was competing against property heavy weights like Grocon.

The award ‘recognises outstanding product that’s pricing is aligned with the selected target market and has considered issues such as ongoing operating costs, sustainability, its integration with the local community, and quality finishes amongst other criteria.’

The UDIA noted that the townhouses, ‘deliver well considered design, construction quality, and diversity of product focussed around a community centre and adjacent open space. The development considered both lifecycle costs and practical sustainable initiatives within a tight budget. The project received strong market acceptance from individuals and families in need of safe and quality accommodation at an affordable price.’

‘This was an amazing outcome for Churches of Christ and our Housing team,’ Frances says. ‘I believe every staff member had a role to play in this achievement – whether direct or supporting processes or holding the fort while staff worked on this.

‘Thank you everyone – a remarkable achievement to be recognised by our peers and most importantly, transforming the lives of another 50 households.’


NHFIC progress report for Queensland CHPs

CHIA QLD, in partnership with Grant Thornton & the National Housing Finance Investment Corporation (NHFIC), is holding a pre-AGM event: ‘NHFIC – a progress report for Queensland CHPs’, with a presentation by the NHFIC Chief of Staff, David Crawford. The event will be held on Thursday, November 22 from 9.30am to 11.30am, and will be followed…

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According to data from realestate.com.au, NRAS (National Rental Affordability Scheme) was the second most common search term for people looking at property to rent or buy in Queensland in searches on realestate.com.au in the six months to May 31.

The real estate website noted 51,416 searches for NRAS in that time frame, with the a Commonwealth Government program rent subsidy program. Taking first place was ‘pool’ with 197,487 searches.


Shocking rent/income gap revealed

A new report has revealed the shocking gap between the incomes of typical renting households and the incomes required to avoid housing stress in Australia’s three most populated states. Compass Housing’s Affordable Housing Income Gap Report, takes a new approach to the measurement of housing affordability for renters. The Report establishes the amount of additional income…

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Common Ground Qld on new Housing Supply Panel

CHIA QLD member Common Ground’s CEO Sonya Keep is one of nine housing experts appointed to the Queensland Government’s panel for a two-year period to provide independent advice on how to measure, report on and address land supply, development and housing affordability issues in south east Queensland. CHIA Executive Director Peta Winzar says the appointment…

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Affordable development meets community need

Churches of Christ in Queensland have officially opened a $10.6 million, 50 townhouse affordable living development in Kallangur, Queensland. The townhouses were built on land gifted by local philanthropists Ian and Neva Handy, and now house 91 residents. Churches of Christ in Queensland Chief Executive Officer Dr Paul Scully says the residents are enjoying a…

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CHIA Qld joins the fold

It’s official. Queensland’s community housing peak body has registered its name change from CHPs for Qld to the Community Housing Association Queensland (CHIA Qld) with ASIC. The name change cements the state peak’s close strategic partnership with the national peak, CHIA. CHIA Qld CEO Jo Ahern says her organisation’s board and members are fully supportive…

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CHL and Horizon join forces for housing affordability

Australian not-for-profit housing provider Community Housing Limited (CHL) has announced its integration of Queensland’s largest housing provider, Horizon Housing,  into the CHL Group of  Companies. The move will provide CHL with a strong advantage in Queensland to deliver more affordable housing  in the State. Over the next year this integration will drive growth for the two organisations so that more Australians who are facing housing crisis are able to secure long‐term affordable housing. The integration will boost CHL’s current portfolio to over 11,000 properties by November 2018, making it  the largest community housing provider in the country. The combined group will manage  community and affordable housing properties across the six states with nearly 300 staff delivering  services to support those most disadvantaged. The new arrangement will consolidate expertise and strengthen the reach and services offered by  both community housing providers. It will allow both the organisations to utilise their  complementary strengths and drive efficiencies, reducing costs and releasing revenue to access  more finance to build more homes and improve the quality of services to customers. Horizon, Queensland’s largest housing provider with operations in 15 in local government areas  across Queensland and parts of New South Wales, provides both community housing programs and  affordable housing projects and has over 2,400 properties in its portfolio, all of which will now  benefit from the expansion of services and increased resources available via CHL. ‘This new arrangement further strengthens the position of both organisations, providing each with  mutually beneficial outcomes aligned to our shared vision of providing the communities we serve  with affordable housing solutions that are available and accessible by those in need,’ says CHL Group’s  Managing Director, Steve Bevington. ‘Our collaboration is an exciting development for the sector and redefines the landscape, we look  forward to drawing on this strengthened position to deliver future affordable housing solutions as  the housing crisis across the country escalates.’ CHL has long been considered a sector leader, supporting and growing the industry  both locally and internationally, providing end-to-end affordable housing developments and long -term housing and tenancy management operations in Australia. ‘Horizon’s integration within the CHL Group is another step in that direction’, adds Steve. CEO of Horizon Housing, Jason Cubit, said the organisation was excited to be part of the CHL group of  companies. ‘The integration of Horizon Housing and CHL is an exciting new chapter, as it allows us to pool the  expertise and resources critical to improving the lives of the most vulnerable members of the  community,’ Mr Cubit says. ‘Our initiatives don’t only help families get by in the short‐term, but empower them to break  the  cycle of financial stress, aiding a transition into the private rental or property market.’…

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New Chair for CHPs for QLD

CHPs for Qld/CHIA Qld has a new Chair with experienced and independent board member Anne-Maree Keane elected to the role. Anne-Maree is Partner Transaction Services at KPMG Australia and has over 20 years’ experience in accounting including a Fellowship of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and a Fellowship of the Financial Services Institute…

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Housing issue ignored in Qld campaign

Almost half of all low-income households in Queensland are suffering from housing stress due to a failure of governments to address the issue. Despite a 13 per cent increase in federal funding over the past seven years, Queensland continues to lag behind the rest of the country in supplying social and affordable housing according to…

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Tenancy help 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…

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