Page 4488 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 14 October 2009
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recommended fewer providers and a definite number of properties to be released for head leasing each year. Third, a Morgan and Disney consultation was completed on an external appeal mechanism for community housing in 2004. It recommended the use of the Housing ACT housing review committee. However, this recommendation was not implemented.
Fourth, a review of the constitution and arrangements for CHC was done by RPR Consulting in October 2003. The recommendations for changes to the constitution to secure the ACT government interest in the assets were rejected by the CHC members at the AGM of 2004, with changes finally agreed in December 2006, some three years after the original review.
Fifth, there was a review of funding by SGS Consulting in 2005. This was undertaken in consultation with the sector and with the ACT peak CCHOACT on the steering committee. The final report was released in June 2006 and the funding model implemented from the 2006-07 funding year, involving benchmark payments per tenancy and the move to accreditation of providers to ensure quality tenancy and property management.
Minister Hargreaves held a ministerial forum in 2005, with a discussion paper and all the issues raised about the viability of the sector. There was debate about whether CHC should focus on asset management and leave tenancy management to others, its role in affordable housing and the issues about how many properties are needed for viability and the discussion of amalgamations, the need for accreditation, and even the prospect of eventual regulation.
With this level of examination and discussion, what has changed since then? Funding changes were implemented in the 2006-07 budget. Amalgamation and rationalisation of tenancy management and tenancy management organisations proceeded in the sector. In 2007 we saw the implementation of the ACT government’s affordable housing action plan which finally gave CHC the assets and leverage it was looking for. This was a transfer of 135 properties worth $40 million, a revolving line of credit of $50 million at Treasury rates, and targeted growth figures of 1,000 properties over 10 years.
In February 2009, the federal Labor government’s announcement of the nation building and job stimulus package, bringing some additional $96 million worth of construction and capital into ACT for social housing, created further interest in our community in affordable housing. I believe that this indeed reignited the debate and intense interest in community housing. This government has never lost interest. As I have outlined, we have implemented the recommendations of most reviews in order to put it in the best possible position. The government has done the right thing by community and affordable housing providers.
In summary, I think it is clear that the government has never lost interest in community and affordable housing. The government has been actively involved in resourcing and reform, after undertaking an extensive and impressive array of reviews in consultation with the sector. Furthermore, the government has announced a further 115 properties to be built by or for the sector as part of the stimulus package for social
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