Housing and Homelessness Forum

1. Housing and Homelessness Forum 30 July 2013

2. Presentations 1. Transition of homelessness to the department 2. National Regulatory System for Community Housing 3. Transfer of social housing management to the non-government sector

3. Transition of homelessness programs to the Department of Housing and Public Works Helen Ferguson Executive Director Community Services Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services

4. Transition of homelessness programs to the Department of Housing and Public Works • 1 July 2013 responsibility for homelessness transferred • Machinery of Government (MOG) arrangements: active discussion, negotiation and administrative arrangements between the two departments • Principles guiding work in the meantime: • Continuity of service delivery for vulnerable Queenslanders • Continuity of administration arrangements for service providers • Continuity of reporting arrangements • Continue efforts to roll out key priorities, eg CHART

5. Homelessness priorities • Key projects – continuing • Implementation of common homelessness assessment and referral tool (CHART) and vacancy capacity management system (VCMS) as early systems for the new triage approach • Conversion of service agreements to outputs framework and consistency with Homelessness Program Guidelines • Evaluations of key National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness initiatives

6. Homelessness priorities cont… • Commence implementing Homelessness-to-Housing Strategy: • Three additional supported accommodation facilities • Additional dwellings for Street to Home, families, domestic and family violence, and youth • Expand Homelessness Community Action Planning • Establish Homelessness Action Group • Realign /consolidate specialist homelessness services

7. National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH) • Extension of NPAH for 2013-14 agreed • Commonwealth – indicating intent to develop holistic national response • Department will transition to delivering NPAH initiatives • Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services will continue to implement its key NPAH initiatives - Youth Housing and Reintegration Service, Safety Upgrades program and Young Adults Exiting the Care of the State

8. National Regulatory System for Community Housing Mark Francis Executive Director Office of the Registrar

9. National Regulatory System – Vision To contribute to a well governed and managed national community housing sector and provide a platform for the ongoing development and viability of the community housing sector across Australia. Source: NRSCH Charter

10. Aims • Encourage the viability, development and growth of community housing • Protect government funding and equity in the sector • Facilitate investment in the sector by promoting confidence in the good governance of community housing providers • Reduce regulatory barriers to providers which currently, or plan to, operate in multiple jurisdictions • Improve tenant outcomes and protect vulnerable tenants

11. System features • A registrar in each participating state/territory • One primary registrar for each provider • Single, national public register of providers • Consistent, baseline national standards for membership of the industry

12. Governance National Regulatory Council (NRC) Housing and Homelessness Ministers Advisory Committee (HHMAC) COAG Select Council on Housing and Homelessness (SCOHH) Advice on policy and resolution of cross-jurisdictional disputes Independent advice on implementation and effectiveness of NRSCH Overall supervision and policy setting by housing ministers for NRSCH

13. Milestones • August 2012 – NSW Parliament passed National Law • March 2013 – Housing Ministers announced start date • March 2013 – Queensland Parliament passed the Housing and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2013 • March to June 2013 – Release of operating guidelines • July to December 2013 – Launch and implementation of Phase 1 (testing and evaluation) • 1 January 2014 – Start of new system

14. Regulatory framework • National Law • National Regulatory Code: performance requirements • Charter: vision, objectives, principles and philosophy • Operating Guidelines: tiers, evidence, enforcement • Entity and Performance Reporting Data Set • Regulatory framework • Corporate framework

15. National Regulatory Code • Tenant and housing services: The community housing provider is fair, transparent and responsive in delivering housing assistance to tenants, residents and other clients • Housing assets: The community housing provider manages its community housing assets in a manner that ensures suitable properties are available now and in the future • Community engagement: The community housing provider works in partnership with relevant organisations to promote community housing and to contribute to socially inclusive communities

16. National Regulatory Code cont… • Governance: The community housing provider is well governed to support the aims and intended outcomes of its business • Probity: The community housing provider maintains high standards of probity relating to the business of the provider • Management: The community housing provider manages its resources in a cost-effective manner • Financial viability: The community housing provider is financially viable at all times

17. Tier guidelines • Outlines application of 3-tiered registration system based on risk • Different levels of regulatory requirements and oversight apply, based on scale and scope of community housing activities • Cumulative eligibility requirements up from tiers 3-2-1 • Definitions of scale and scope and associated risk • Registrar tier decisions are appealable

18. A tiered system of regulation Level of Regulatory Scrutiny Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3

19. Applying for a tier • Providers can choose which tier to apply for based on: • nature of current and future activities • level of regulatory engagement needed to manage risk • Inherent risk may compel a Registrar to ask a provider to register in a particular tier • Providers can apply to change their tier as their circumstances change

20. Eligibility requirements for all tiers • Basic body corporate requirements • Compulsory provision in provider’s Constitution for transferring assets on de-registration • Meet the Evidence Guidelines and consistent baseline standards across the National Regulatory Code

21. Example Typical registration tier for different community housing activities

22. Ongoing compliance assessments • The compliance framework is under development • Tiers 1 and 2: annual compliance assessments • Tier 3: compliance assessments every two years • All tiers will have regular reporting obligations

23. Local Government providers • State-based requirements consistent with Tier 3 • Streamlined reporting that utilises reports Local Governments prepare for other agencies • If you wish to register nationally, you will need to form a company or other eligible corporate structure

24. Application for registration process Determination Eligibility & Tier Form (ETF) Report Application For Registration (AFR) Initiation - Approve registration and entry on public register - Not approve registration - Registrar issues Draft Report to Providers - Provider response to Draft Report - Report Issued - Registrar releases AFR - Provider completes and submits AFR - Registrar assesses AFR • -Registrar releases ETF • - Completes and submits ETF • - Registrarassesses ETF - Provisional tiering HELP - Application Guidance Note - Financial Viability Guidance Note - Evidence Guidelines - Tier Guidelines - Registrar and staff

25. Registration – a two part process • 1st part • Eligibility and Tier Form (ETF) used to determine whether a provider is eligible for registration and the provisional tier • 2nd part • eligible providers complete the Application for Registration online to demonstrate their capacity to comply with the National Regulatory Code and the National Law

26. Registration • Eligibility and Tier Form (ETF) • confirm entity details, main business activities, contacts and affiliated entities (if any) • attach evidence • Constitution • Community Housing Asset Report • Community Housing Development Program (if any major refurbishment or new dwelling constructions) • Application for Registration • Financial Performance Report • performance data and evidence to demonstrate capacity to comply with each performance outcome under the Code

27. Online registration system • Community Housing Regulatory Information System (CHRIS) is the operating system for the National Regulatory System for Community Housing (NRSCH) • A nationally integrated system to support community housing providers and registrars in the functions and operation of NRSCH • Accessed through a secure online portal with its unique login and password

28. CHRIS

29. Implementation Phased approach • Phase 1 – Testing and evaluation • six months of testing and evaluation of processes and procedures • Phase 2 – Registration and transition • full transition to the new system, with an 18-month transition period under the Housing Act 2003 • providers able to apply for national registration

30. Who is participating in Phase 1? • 24 community housing providers across all states and territories and all tiers • In Queensland: • Horizon Housing Company • Mangrove Housing Association Incorporated • Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre Inc. • Charters Towers Neighbourhood Centre Inc. • Whitsunday Housing Company • Girudala Community Co-operative Society Limited

31. Key dates for Phase 1 (2013)

32. Formal commencement – 1 January 2014 • Providers can apply for registration • Existing providers will need to re-apply for registration under the Housing Act 2003 • Registrar will schedule application ‘windows’ for each tier • Registrations under the National Law will take place over a 12-month period from 1 January 2014 (Phase 2). The transition period will end 30 June 2015 • Providers will need to demonstrate: • ongoing compliance with the National Law and • ongoing performance against the National Regulatory Code

33. Transfer of social housing management to the non-government sector Kirstine Harvie Executive Director Housing Programs

34. A new strategic approach • Transfer 90% of the management of all government-owned social housing to the non-government sector by 2020 • Underpinned by the National Regulatory System • Providers must be registered to receive government funding for a social housing service • A range of new opportunities likely to emerge for community housing organisations in the coming months and years

35. Draft transfer plan • Draft transfer plan developed to meet the Housing 2020 commitment to transfer the management of social housing dwellings to the non-government sector • Indicative only and subject to change as the transfer rollout continues

36. Draft transfer plan cont… • Embeds the commitment to transfer management in Logan, the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Redcliffe and Gladstone during 2013/2014 and 2014/15 • General principle to package all tenancies managed by a Housing Service Centre for each procurement process

37. Draft transfer plan cont… • Earlier small scale transfers in rural and remote regions for efficiency reasons and to allow some providers to increase capacity • 27 rural LGAs to be considered, including 11 areas outside south-west Queensland where Council is the only provider of social housing • Housing Service Centres in Brisbane likely to remain with the department until towards the end of the implementation period

38. Procurement strategy • Procurement will be open, fair and transparent • Underlying principle will be contestability to ensure value for money and the provision of high quality social housing services • Providers will be required to deliver services that are financially-sustainable, regionally based and integrated • Continuing role for some small providers

39. Logan Renewal Initiative • Seeking a suitable non-government entity to: • manage approximately 5,000 public housing and community housing tenancies and properties • manage applications and referrals to other housing and human services • deliver private rental products

40. Logan Renewal Initiative cont… First large-scale, social housing outsourcing project to be undertaken in Queensland Logan Renewal Board established to advise government • Two-stage national open tender process in progress to identify a suitable non-government entity to deliver the required outcomes of the Initiative 40

41. Logan Renewal Initiative cont… • Stage 1 Expression of interest • a short-list of 3 proponents identified • Stage 2 Request for Proposal • in progress, but a single proponent suitable for advancing directly to negotiations with the State not identified to date • more information will be provided to assist proponents to refine their proposals • outcome expected in first half of 2014

42. Future transfer projects • Lessons learned from the Logan Renewal Initiative will be used to inform future transfer initiatives • Department currently planning the transfers in the areas of Robina, Sunshine Coast, Redcliffe and Gladstone

43. New reporting arrangements • Department’s role as informed purchaser and contract manager • Common program specifications • Output and outcome focused approach for funding and monitoring performance from 1 January 2014 • Increased flexibility for providers • Reduced red tape • Department will focus on service efficiency and quality and value for money

44. Capacity building • Department committed to building sector capability • Training is available to assist organisations to build capacity: • Certificate IV in Social Housing • Graduate Certificate in Social Science (Housing Management and Policy) • training to build National Regulatory System readiness • Department writing to all funded providers to provide information about the regulatory and funding changes • Further workshops and discussions with providers will occur in relation to the indicative plan for transfer and sector capability

45. Conclusion • We all need to change the way we operate • Department will work in partnership with our valued service partners to deliver on the government’s objectives • Further regional meetings and workshops to be held across the State in the coming months