A Regulatory Framework for Community Housing in Australia

In 2001, the NCHF commissioned a project to review the options for a regulatory framework for community housing in Australia. The project was funded by a number of states and territories to help understand the possible role of regulation in community housing.

The first stage of the project identified the risks associated with the business of community housing and reviewed the scope of existing risk management mechanisms. The findings of this research are contained in volume 1 of the project report.

The second stage of the project outlined the range of regulatory options potentially applicable to community housing. It was informed by an assessment of regulation in comparable industries in Australia and the regulation of social housing in the UK and The Netherlands. The findings are outlined in volume 2 of the final report.

Policy makers are increasingly aware of the need to strengthen communities to counteract the growing patterns of social exclusion in Australia today and to support greater social and economic participation. This suggests that initiatives that successfully build ‘stronger communities’ should also increase the well being of disadvantaged households.This concern adds a new dimension to the long-standing policy to support local and regional economic development initiatives.

The primary objective of the research was to:

help identify the extent to which the form of housing management provided by community housing organisations plays a significant role in building stronger communities and, if this is significant;