The National Community Housing Forum was a not for profit community based organisation. The Forum’s mission was to engage key national community housing stakeholders –government and non government- in developing a long term strategic vision for community housing in Australia. The Forum was funded by the Australian and each of the State and Territory Governments, however was defunded in July 2006 and is no longer in operation.

The Forum provided a range of opportunities for debate and dialogue between government and non government agencies around key issues impacting on community housing. It played an important role in the area of research and development, national strategic planning, and promoted national debate through an annual seminar series, facilitating the dissemination and exchange of information amongst its members, through the publication of a number of discussion and research papers and a quarterly newsletter. The Forum played an active role in promoting community housing as a legitimate affordable housing option for low income people across Australia.

Through a small national secretariat, the Forum resourced its members and provided active support to a range of national networks, including the National Accreditation Council, the Government Officers Group and the Policy Advisory Committee. The Forum actively participated in a range of national committees and initiatives to advance the community housing sector, and was responsible for organizing national events such as the National Awards For Excellence in Community Housing.

The National Community Housing Forum was established at a Foundation National Meeting on 15-16 July 1996.

The founding meeting was the culmination of over two years work. Since 1994, a small working party had been working to establish a body which would allow all community housing stakeholders to see themselves as part of a common national project – to create a system of community housing which expands the range of options available to low income tenants in Australia.