Page 1581 - Week 05 - Thursday, 8 May 2008
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On 14 March this year, the Housing Ministers Conference, of which Mr Hargreaves was chairperson, approved a national regulatory framework for not-for-profit housing growth providers.
The national regulatory framework envisages that each state and territory will:
• establish a multi-tiered registration system;
• appoint a registrar and maintain a registration list of providers;
• provide mutual recognition of registration decisions in other jurisdictions; and
• adopt a national regulatory code as the basis of registration.
A significant number of states and territories—most notably Victoria—have significantly advanced funding and regulatory arrangements to support the not-for-profit housing sector. The ACT has used this experience and that from the United Kingdom to inform the development of the ACT regulatory framework.
The Australian government has foreshadowed an expanded role for the sector in the development and management of additional rental housing. The Australian government has also made it clear that it expects proper regulation of the sector if it is to receive the funding committed by the new government for the national rental affordability scheme.
Strategies to support the growth of the sector will also be incorporated in a future national affordable housing agreement to be negotiated during 2008 by the commonwealth and state and territory governments.
The changes to the Housing Assistance Act 2007 in this bill will empower the housing commissioner to register, monitor the activities of and de-register housing providers. The consequence of de-registration would be the loss of any tied government assistance and publicly funded assets.
Two tiers of registration will be established under the bill before members today.
Affordable housing providers will undertake innovative and entrepreneurial property development for low to moderate income earners—at arm’s length from government.
Community housing providers will manage properties as the head lessee, utilising government-owned or other organisations’ assets which they rent to low to moderate income tenants. They are generally small in scale and typically charge rents amounting to 25 per cent of income.
In the first instance CHC—Community Housing Canberra—will be the only local provider able to secure registration as an affordable housing growth provider.
Currently there are five community housing agencies in a position to secure registration as community housing providers. While their activities are less risky, it is still important to protect the interests of vulnerable tenants.
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