Bringing Housing Together Shelter Tasmania 12-13 July 2011 Community housing in Australia :

1. Bringing Housing Together Shelter Tasmania 12-13 July 2011 Community housing in Australia: where we are, where we will be and what we need to get there Carol Croce, Executive Director Community Housing Federation of Australia

2. Overview • Key issues for the community housing sector • National regulation • Growth opportunities • National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) • Nation Building stimulus program • stock transfer • National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) • National trends • What will the sector look like in 5 years • What do we need to fulfill that vision?

3. National regulation • COAG direction and process • Intent of regulations • Principles • Core elements

4. Core elements • National regulatory code • National Registration • Uniform eligibility requirements • Recognition with other regulatory systems • State-based registrars • Mutual recognition (with lead registrars) • Independent body for national coordination • National legislation

5. National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) • 50,000 dwellings by 2014-15 • 23,000+ incentives allocated nearly 4,000 completed • Tasmania: 199 completed, 414 allocated/to be completed • Increased investor interest • 2/3 participants from not-for-profit housing sector • Significant portion built in major cities • Challenges • Overly ambitious initial targets • Ongoing state commitment • Cautious financial institutions and institutional investors

6. Nation Building stimulus package housing • $6.2 billion • 19,300 new social housing dwellings • 60,000propertieis upgraded • Expectation: up to 75% transferred to community housing • Inconsistent across jurisdictions • Low ownership transfer • Closer to 75% target for management only • Impact on leveraging expectations

7. Stock transfer • Up to 35% of social housing in community housing sector by 2014 (Housing Ministers communiqué 2009) • Implementation stalled • Leverage expectations • Sector uncertainty • Disconnect between Government and sector on expectations • Tenant population

8. National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) • Negotiations start 2013 • Need focus on growing not-for-profit sector • Options for increased capital funding/growth funds

9. National trends • What will the sector look like in 5 years? • Proliferation of large providers, more commercial model • Greater role for ‘neighbourhood’ providers • New entrants into community and affordable housing • Greater private investment • New products, e.g. rent to buy • More urban renewal and large scale regeneration projects/initiatives • Role for community housing in broader landscape of sustainability

10. What do we need to fulfill that vision? • Long term secure funding base, e.g. capital funding through NAHA, government subsidies, government guarantees • Strategic national housing plan that sees housing as central to social infrastructure, i.e. health, housing and education • National consistent regulation • Different workforce • New relationships with old partners, especially government • Shared responsibility to ensure programs are successful and providers are viable