Community Housing in Australia

National Community Housing Forum

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	What is Community Housing?
	The Aims of Community Housing
	Snapshot : Community Housing State by State


	Community housing is rental housing for low to moderate income or special needs households, managed by not-for-profit community based organisations whose operations, in the main, have been at least partly subsidised by government (usually through funds provided under the Commonwealth State Housing Agreement). Community housing is an integral part of the social housing system and aims to provide a housing option that is affordable, secure, responds to local community needs and supports tenant participation.

	The defining aims of community housing as set out in the National Community Housing Standards Manual are:
		Affordability: To ensure that housing costs do not create hardship for tenants
		Choice: To provide people in need of housing with a diverse choice of housing options
		Responsiveness: To respond to the needs of individual tenants and their changing circumstances by ensuring that housing is appropriate to tenants’ needs and is managed flexibly
		Security: To ensure that tenants are secure in their housing, are housed for as long as they wish to be and meet the tenancy agreement
		Sustainability: To contribute to successful tenancies and the development of sustainable communities, by being supportive of tenants’ wider social needs and building their independence
		Fairness: To ensure equitable access to community housing regardless of people’s cultural identity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age and household composition; and to treat tenants fairly in all matters relating to their tenancy
		Respect: To ensure that all tenants’ rights are respected and to treat tenants with respect in all dealings
		Participation: To actively seek the participation of tenants in decisions about their tenancy and the management of organisations
		Partnerships: To work in partnership with governments and communities in developing housing and related services which meet tenant and community needs
		Quality: To provide the best possible accommodation and housing services to tenants
		Accountability: To be accountable to tenants, the community and government for the effectiveness of the service provided and for the use of public funds; and by doing so to enhance the credibility of community housing options

© NCHF 2006

Site Last Updated: December 2006

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