Recent Changes

There have been a series of important changes introduced by the NSW Department of Housing (DOH) and the Office of Community Housing (OCH) in recent years. The major changes in community housing include:

· The introduction of Performance Based Registration System

· Targeted Supported Tenancies

· Separation of tenancy Management and Support

· Registration of the housing component of SAAP/CAP programs by 2008

· Stock transfers of DOH properties to community housing associations (who have registration status).

The significance of the introduction of the Performance Based Registration System (PBRS) is that all housing providers managing properties owned by the NSW Land and Housing Corporation are obliged to conform to the management practices and standards of the system and become registered.

What is registration?

The NSW Department of Housing is creating a public register which lists the names of all community housing providers. To be on the list, a provider needs to demonstrate that they have achieved required outcomes relating to service quality, corporate governance and financial sustainability.

Is the registration system compulsory?

Yes. Under the new system, the Department will only ‘do business’ with registered providers – this means the Department will only enter into and remain in funding and head leasing arrangements with registered housing providers.

What outcomes do housing associations or church housing providers have to achieve to obtain registration?

Housing associations along with all other housing providers are expected to achieve 9 core outcomes – five related to service quality, two to corporate governance and two to financial sustainability. This process requires regular reporting on outcomes data which is used to conduct an annual performance review undertaken by The Performance Review Team within the Office of Community Housing.

What is the role of CCHL in the Registration Process of churches?

CCHL is responsible to actively support the churches through this process. When a church or agency chooses to apply for Registration, CCHL is the agency who will work with them in this process of developing the necessary reporting process and documentation, to enable the application for Registration to be lodged.

What recognition is there by the Office of Community Housing of the unique characteristics of church housing provider agencies and the particular circumstances of housing providers in rural and regional locations?

The OCH is aware of the complexities of church agencies with multiple welfare functions as well as housing management.

One of the difficulties facing the OCH with the rural and regional church community housing sector is the sheer volume of small community housing portfolios, the majority of which are outside major cities or regional centres.

There are:

	94 church agencies with only one property;
	79 with two to five properties;
	19 with between six and ten properties;
	8 with eleven to twenty properties, and
	10 with over twenty-one properties

As a result of this situation, CCHL has been funded by the OCH to investigate with rural, regional churches and their agencies, the possible development of a locally based pilot model for the management of church community housing in rural and regional areas.

What are the challenges for compliance for church housing providers?

One of the challenges for some church housing providers is the relatively small size of their housing portfolio. For others it is the mix of funding sources and a range of different owners e.g. of government and church owned stock.

Often, the reality of the specific reporting requirements of the PBRS needed for a segment of the church’s housing stock does not justify the level of infrastructure or its costs. Historically churches have provided supported housing and have become housing managers as a secondary focus. The PBRS requires a professional and formal separation of these two functions.

What are the options for church housing providers to respond to registration?

	Work with CCHL in the identification of the implications of proceeding with the registration process.
	Embark on the process of becoming a registered housing provider supported through the process by CCHL.
	Or develop a partnership with CCHL to have a local church housing management office in your area.

The Office of Community Housing is aware of the specific challenges faced by church housing providers and has given Churches Community Housing the task of working with church housing providers to develop and pilot a rural/regional tenancy management vehicle.