Tenants at the centre
Our vision is: A well regulated, growing and sustainable community housing regulated sector that provides access to safe, secure and affordable housing solutions for Victorians.
Tenant outcomes are at the centre of our regulatory focus.
We recognise that community housing tenants may not be able to exercise the same choice or ability to switch providers that tenants in the private market do. As such, the Registrar plays a key role to ensure that tenant voices are heard and tenants receive housing services that meet their needs.
The Registrar also has a role in safeguarding the interests of prospective tenants through ensuring the efficient delivery of housing services, facilitating sector growth and supporting the long-term financial viability of the sector to deliver rental housing services now and into the future.
We are committed to regulation that recognises the importance of tenant participation to inform decision-making and ensure that the needs of tenants and prospective tenants are met.
Regulating in a time of change
The sector’s operating environment is in a state of considerable change, primarily driven by the growth and reform initiatives from the Victorian Government’s $5.3 billion Big Housing Build. The sector is also impacted by the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the changing economic environment.
The Housing Registrar is alive to the risks and opportunities that this changing environment presents and will organise our resources to be responsive and adaptable.
The Social Housing Regulation Review (SHRR) delivered its Final Report to Ministers on 31 May 2022.
The review was jointly commissioned by the Assistant Treasurer and the Minister for Housing to identify future regulatory arrangements that will support the long-term interests of social housing residents and communities, and to position social and affordable housing for growth and transformation in the coming decades. We welcome the opportunity to be part of, and to contribute to, an improved Victorian regulatory system.
As a result of the Big Housing Build, the community housing sector is experiencing a period of significant growth, with 75% of 12,000 new social housing dwellings to be delivered by the community housing sector.
This growth is accompanied by increased debt and changing operational and financial arrangements, and we will continue to monitor these impacts through our regulatory activities.
Aboriginal cultural safety
We operate under Mana-na worn-tyeen maar-takoort – the Victorian Aboriginal Housing and Homelessness Framework (the Framework). The Framework was developed by a Steering Committee comprised of senior Aboriginal leaders, sector leaders and senior officers from the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
We support the focus on creating a strong and viable Aboriginal housing and homelessness sector and recognise the role of the Housing Registrar to help achieve this.
The community housing sector, through CHIA Vic, has developed a Community Housing Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework that provides a practical tool to help community housing organisations reflect on their practices and adopt strategies and actions to improve the way they engage with and address the housing needs of Aboriginal Victorians.
The Housing Registrar will continue to prioritise cultural safety within our organisation and is committed to proactively supporting ACCOs to become new registered agencies. We look forward to continuing to drive cultural safety through sector growth, ongoing compliance activities and future reform.
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