'Explorations in nonprofit housing: models inspirations resurgence' conference

Thursday, 14 June 2012 — Sydney

Today there is greater diversity in the models of affordable rental housing being developed and provided by nonprofit nongovernment organizations. Our conference, on Thursday, 14 June in Sydney, will explore the implications of these developments, for example, for providers and tenants. Download a registration form and register now! Early bird rates are now available...Our full conference program is now available.

Does ‘one size fit all’? For decades we had one model of affordable rental housing — the public housing provided by the Housing Commission and its successors, the Department of Housing and now Housing NSW. In the 1980s, the Community Tenancy Scheme allowed for new organizations to emerge, which are the ancestors of many of today’s housing associations. By the 2000s, the term ‘social housing’ came into general use, in recognition that public housing was not the only model of affordable rental housing around.

Today there is greater diversity in the models of affordable rental housing being developed and provided by nonprofit nongovernment organizations:

• Eligibility — Some nonprofits might have more liberal criteria for who is eligible to apply for their housing, than is the case for public housing and the mainstream community housing regulated by Housing NSW. They might want to increase their rent revenue, they might be providing or managing housing under a scheme like the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) where this approach is a program requirement, or they might think that it is better to have some ‘social mix’ among their tenants for reasons linked to social inclusion. In some cases, eligibility for the housing might be linked to the tenant having had an association with the local area, or being in a certain occupational group (e.g. ‘key workers’), or being in a certain population group (e.g. seniors).
• Rents — Some nonprofits no longer charge rents according to an income-based rent-setting formula, for example, capped at 25% of the household’s income. They charge rents according to a discount to the prevailing market rent, for example, at 75% of the market rent. This might be because they want to increase their rent revenue, or they might be providing or managing housing under a scheme like the NRAS.
• Length of tenancy — Some nonprofits do not promise a continuous tenancy as is normally the case in mainstream community housing. For example, a community housing association may manage dwellings owned by a council which may have a policy that tenancies be for a fixed duration with no extension.
• Links to support services — Some nonprofits link their housing to specific support services in a ‘wrap around’ sort of way, such as the Housing First approach to address chronic homelessness.
• Intentional communities — The affordable rental housing might be a component of a larger, mixed-income development that is an ‘intentional community’, as is the case of some eco-villages.

As well, specialist homelessness services, providers of supported accommodation for people with disabilities, and providers of seniors housing are all part of the nonprofit housing sector — they bring different approaches to financing, tenancy management, and support.

Differences, continuity and change. What are the implications of these developments, for example, for ‘traditional’ social housing providers and for tenants?

Speakers

The conference will be opened by the Hon. Pru Goward, MP, Minister for Family and Community Services, and our keynote speaker will be Professor Peter Phibbs, Urban Research Centre, University of Western Sydney. The program will also feature the following speakers:

• James Allardice, Executive Director (NSW), Habitat for Humanity
• Greg Budworth, Chief Executive Officer, Compass Housing Services
  
• Dr Louise Crabtree, Research Fellow, School of Humanities and Communication Arts, University of Western Sydney
• Leone Crayden, Chief Executive Officer, On Track Community Programs
• Adam Farrar, Executive Director, NSW Federation of Housing Associations
• Sarah Fogg, Senior Policy Manager, The Benevolent Society
• Wendy Hildebrand IBVM, Operations Manager, Youth Accommodation and Support, Mission Australia
• Leonie King, Executive Director, Community Housing Division, Housing NSW, Department of Family and Community Services
• Bryan Lipmann, AM, Chief Executive Officer, Wintringham
• Gary Moore, Chief Executive Officer, Homelessness NSW and
• Ian Sinnett, Executive Officer, Common Equity NSW.

Our full conference program is now available.

When

Thursday, 14 June 2012, 9.15 am to 4.00 pm.

Where

Auditorium, NSW Teachers Federation Conference Centre, 37 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills, Sydney.