Community Housing Industry Association Victoria

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We’re still feeling inspired and energised from the #CHIAVic2025 conference last week! In case you missed it, here are some highlights from our two days at the 'G. * We had fantastic sessions on First Nations housing solutions, the new Plan for Victoria, harnessing AI in our workplaces, building resilience in frontline staff and much more. * Our Careers session unpacked the findings from our workforce survey, including the statistic that 75% of respondents said ‘socially impactful work’ was their primary reason for working in the sector. * We also ran a lively workshop to feed ideas into our key worker housing project. The workshop allowed us to test ideas for a new framework which could help ease the crisis around key worker housing, particularly in the regions. * Another standout session was on community engagement, where speakers from Housing Choices Australia, Haven Home Safe and Surf Coast Shire Council spoke about their successful community-building programs. * PLUS we heard from Federal Housing Minister Clare O'Neil, her Victorian counterpart Harriet Shing, the CEOs of both Housing Australia (Scott Langford) and Homes Victoria (Simon Newport), plus European housing expert Professor Michelle Norris, who provided insights from Ireland and Denmark. Thanks to all who came along!

One of the thankyou gifts we gave to speakers at our conference last week was very close to our heart. For the Love of Good sparkling apple juice is made from apples picked by renters at Servants Community Housing Limited and it is so much more than a tasty drink. Getting involved in the creation of the juice gives renters opportunities for connection, skill-building, entrepreneurship, and pathways to employment. The juice - as well honey sourced from hives located on community housing properties - is sold to raise funds for programs to reduce loneliness, improve mental health and remove employment barriers. So we were extra proud to give Servants' organic sparkling apple juice to Victorian Housing Minister Harriet Shing MP and Federal Housing Minister Clare O'Neil MP - seen here with our CEO Sarah Toohey - well as many other speakers who contributed to our event. If you want to try it for yourself, see the link below. https://lnkd.in/gpYyCZKr

Are you new to community housing and want to know what it is and how it works? Join our two housing experts, Emeritus Professor Terry Burke and Skye Constantine, to learn all about the sector, from the big picture to the practical details. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eeUwr9uu

Register now for Council To Homeless Persons free online event next week for #YouthHomelessnessMattersDay. Our deputy CEO, Jason Perdriau, will be one of the many speakers. Booking link in post below.

📢 Leadership Announcement - from Uniting Vic.Tas Board Chair, Jude Munro AO The Uniting Vic.Tas Board has completed a comprehensive and competitive recruitment process following the announcement by our current CEO, Bronwyn Pike, in December that she would not be renewing her contract beyond 30 June 2025. We are pleased to announce the appointment of Carol Jeffs as the incoming CEO of Uniting Vic.Tas. Carol brings a wealth of experience in establishing and growing services in Melbourne’s expanding communities. She is deeply committed to delivering positive outcomes for individuals and communities, and to building a future-focused organisation grounded in trust, collaboration, and strong stakeholder relationships. Please join us in welcoming Carol to Uniting Vic.Tas.

This week, several Haven Home Safe staff members attended the Community Housing Industry Association Victoria 2025 Smart Growth Conference, joining sector leaders, innovators, and changemakers to explore ‘building the future of community housing’. From innovative housing and partnership models, to embracing AI, housing sustainability and tenant-centred design, the conference was packed with a broad range of topics and opportunities to expand our knowledge.   There were two sentiments from the conference that stuck with us when zooming out on the challenges that Victorians (and Australian’s) face in accessing housing as well as the role that community housing providers play in meeting these challenges. 💡 If you care about an equal Australia, then there is no other place to look than housing. 💡 The AND factor. The housing market is the direct outcome of an eco-system of several polices and decisions. We need to look at housing AND partnerships AND funding sources AND innovative building models AND other programs AND other cost-of-living pressures. We’re come away from the event energised by our industry colleagues, inspired to explore new approaches and committed to keeping housing on the political agenda.   Thank you to CHIA Vic for bringing together such a dynamic and inspiring community! A shout out to our Haven Home Safe staff members who you may have seen on stage over the course of the conference: Our CEO Trudi Ray (GAICD, JP, MBA, SPAHIc) Ray, Community Place Manager Mubeen Hamza, Board Director Nicola Foxworthy and Senior Marketing and Communications Advisor Tara Miller. #CHIAVic2025 #CommunityHousing #AffordableHousing #HavenHomeSafe

⭐ Highlights from the Community Housing Industry Association Victoria Conference ⭐ It was inspiring to see our sector come together, share ideas, and collaborate to address the ongoing challenges in the community housing sector. Lisa May, Vic State Operations Manager, gave a passionate talk, describing how we can best support residents through the streamlining of the new tenancy dispute resolution process, stressing the importance of good communication and early conversations. Lee Monik, Chief Governance Officer, spoke on the drivers and implications of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) for businesses, and what it means for the community housing sector more broadly. We were proud to sponsor the coffee cart, keeping everyone energised and ready to engage! Looking forward to more discussions and collaborations in the future. #CHIAVic2025 #CHL #CommunityHousing #MoreThanAHome

Over the past two days, we were thrilled to host the CHIA Vic 2025 conference at the MCG. The event was a great success and we have so many people to thank! * The fantastic keynote speakers Clare O’Neil, Harriet Shing and Michelle Norris. * Plenary and session speakers - your insights and knowledge brought the conference to life! * Our sponsors - through your generous support we were able to put on a great event this year. * The exhibitors - businesses aligned to the community housing sector offering ways to improve your operations. * Conference delegates - who engaged with our sessions, had a ball at our networking event and housing trivia, and hopefully went away with a swag of new ideas to implement at their workplaces. Thanks for coming! #CHIAVic2025 Homes Victoria, Infrastructure Advisory Group, MRI Software, Community Housing Ltd, Moores, Housing Choices Australia, Safe and Equal, Camden Recruitment Partners, Haven Foundation, Chintaro, Community Housing Industry Association NSW, Community Housing Risk Scheme, Detector Inspector, Global Sunsets Pty Ltd, Home in Place, PlaceChangers | Digital Tools for Urban Planning, Rheem Australia, SDM Housing Software, SPM Assets, Taskforce Australia Pty Ltd, Tenancy Skills Institute, Votar Partners, Victorian Public Tenants Association, Zavanti Group

Thanks to Community Housing Ltd for your sponsorship of the all-important coffee cart at the #CHIAVic2025 conference. Great to see delegates getting a quality brew throughout the day as we discussed new ideas and learnings for our sector.