Housing and Homelessness Forum

30 July 2013

Presentations

1. Transition of homelessness to the department

2. National Regulatory System for Community Housing

3. Transfer of social housing management to the non-government sector

Transition of homelessness programs to the Department of Housing and Public Works

Helen Ferguson

Executive Director Community Services

Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services

Transition of homelessness programs to the Department of Housing and Public Works

• 1 July 2013 responsibility for homelessness transferred • Machinery of Government (MOG) arrangements: active

discussion, negotiation and administrative arrangements between the two departments

• Principles guiding work in the meantime:– Continuity of service delivery for vulnerable Queenslanders– Continuity of administration arrangements for service providers– Continuity of reporting arrangements – Continue efforts to roll out key priorities, eg CHART

Homelessness priorities

• Key projects – continuing – Implementation of common homelessness

assessment and referral tool (CHART) and vacancy capacity management system (VCMS) as early systems for the new triage approach

– Conversion of service agreements to outputs framework and consistency with Homelessness Program Guidelines

– Evaluations of key National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness initiatives

Homelessness priorities cont…

• Commence implementing Homelessness-to-Housing Strategy:– Three additional supported accommodation facilities– Additional dwellings for Street to Home, families,

domestic and family violence, and youth – Expand Homelessness Community Action Planning – Establish Homelessness Action Group– Realign /consolidate specialist homelessness

services

National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH)• Extension of NPAH for 2013-14 agreed

• Commonwealth – indicating intent to develop holistic national response

• Department will transition to delivering NPAH initiatives

• Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services will continue to implement its key NPAH initiatives - Youth Housing and Reintegration Service, Safety Upgrades program and Young Adults Exiting the Care of the State

National Regulatory System for Community Housing

Mark FrancisExecutive DirectorOffice of the Registrar

9

National Regulatory System – Vision

To contribute to a well governed and

managed national community housing

sector and provide a platform for the

ongoing development and viability of the

community housing sector across Australia.

Source: NRSCH Charter

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Aims

• Encourage the viability, development and growth of community housing

• Protect government funding and equity in the sector• Facilitate investment in the sector by promoting

confidence in the good governance of community housing providers

• Reduce regulatory barriers to providers which currently, or plan to, operate in multiple jurisdictions

• Improve tenant outcomes and protect vulnerable tenants

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System features • A registrar in each participating state/territory• One primary registrar for each provider• Single, national public register of providers• Consistent, baseline national standards for

membership of the industry

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Governance

COAG Select Council

on Housing

andHomelessness

(SCOHH)

Overall supervision and

policy setting by

housing ministers

for NRSCH

NationalRegulatory

Council (NRC)

Independent advice on

implementation and

effectiveness of

NRSCH

Housing and

HomelessnessMinisters Advisory

Committee(HHMAC)

Advice on policy and

resolution of

cross-jurisdictional

disputes

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Milestones

• August 2012 – NSW Parliament passed National Law

• March 2013 – Housing Ministers announced start date

• March 2013 – Queensland Parliament passed the Housing and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2013

• March to June 2013 – Release of operating guidelines

• July to December 2013 – Launch and implementation of Phase 1 (testing and evaluation)

• 1 January 2014 – Start of new system

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• National Law• National Regulatory Code: performance requirements• Charter: vision, objectives, principles and philosophy• Operating Guidelines: tiers, evidence, enforcement• Entity and Performance Reporting Data Set• Regulatory framework• Corporate framework

Regulatory framework

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National Regulatory Code

• Tenant and housing services: The community housing provider is fair, transparent and responsive in delivering housing assistance to tenants, residents and other clients

• Housing assets: The community housing provider manages its community housing assets in a manner that ensures suitable properties are available now and in the future

• Community engagement: The community housing provider works in partnership with relevant organisations to promote community housing and to contribute to socially inclusive communities

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National Regulatory Code cont…

• Governance: The community housing provider is well governed to support the aims and intended outcomes of its business

• Probity: The community housing provider maintains high standards of probity relating to the business of the provider

• Management: The community housing provider manages its resources in a cost-effective manner

• Financial viability: The community housing provider is financially viable at all times

17

Tier guidelines

• Outlines application of 3-tiered registration system based

on risk• Different levels of regulatory requirements and oversight

apply, based on scale and scope of community housing activities

• Cumulative eligibility requirements up from tiers 3-2-1

• Definitions of scale and scope and associated risk• Registrar tier decisions are appealable

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A tiered system of regulation

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Lev

el o

f R

egu

lato

ry S

cru

tin

y

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• Providers can choose which tier to apply for based on:– nature of current and future activities– level of regulatory engagement needed to

manage risk• Inherent risk may compel a Registrar to ask a provider to

register in a particular tier• Providers can apply to change their tier as their

circumstances change

Applying for a tier

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Eligibility requirements for all tiers

• Basic body corporate requirements

• Compulsory provision in provider’s Constitution for transferring assets on de-registration

• Meet the Evidence Guidelines and consistent baseline standards across the National Regulatory Code

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Example Typical registration tier for different community housing activities

22

Ongoing compliance assessments

• The compliance framework is under development

• Tiers 1 and 2: annual compliance assessments

• Tier 3: compliance assessments every two years

• All tiers will have regular reporting obligations

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Local Government providers

• State-based requirements consistent with Tier 3

• Streamlined reporting that utilises reports Local Governments prepare for other agencies

• If you wish to register nationally, you will need to form a company or other eligible corporate structure

24

Application for registration process

Initiation

Eligibility &

Tier Form (ETF)

ApplicationFor

Registration(AFR)

Report Determination

- Provisional tiering

- Registrar releases ETF

- Completes and submits ETF

- Registrar assesses ETF

- Registrar releases AFR

- Provider completes and

submits AFR

- Registrar assesses AFR

- Registrar issues Draft Report to Providers

- Provider response to Draft Report

- Report Issued

- Approve registration and entry on public register

- Not approve registration

HELP- Application Guidance Note- Financial Viability Guidance Note- Evidence Guidelines- Tier Guidelines- Registrar and staff

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Registration – a two part process

• 1st part– Eligibility and Tier Form (ETF) used to determine

whether a provider is eligible for registration and the provisional tier

• 2nd part– eligible providers complete the Application for

Registration online to demonstrate their capacity to comply with the National Regulatory Code and the National Law

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Registration

• Eligibility and Tier Form (ETF) – confirm entity details, main business activities, contacts and

affiliated entities (if any)– attach evidence

• Constitution• Community Housing Asset Report• Community Housing Development Program (if any major

refurbishment or new dwelling constructions)

• Application for Registration– Financial Performance Report– performance data and evidence to demonstrate capacity to

comply with each performance outcome under the Code

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Online registration system

• Community Housing Regulatory Information System (CHRIS) is the operating system for the National Regulatory System for Community Housing (NRSCH)

• A nationally integrated system to support community housing providers and registrars in the functions and operation of NRSCH

• Accessed through a secure online portal with its unique login and password

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CHRIS

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Implementation

Phased approach

• Phase 1 – Testing and evaluation– six months of testing and evaluation of processes and

procedures

• Phase 2 – Registration and transition– full transition to the new system, with an 18-month transition

period under the Housing Act 2003 – providers able to apply for national registration

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Who is participating in Phase 1?

• 24 community housing providers across all states and territories and all tiers

• In Queensland:– Horizon Housing Company – Mangrove Housing Association Incorporated– Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre Inc.– Charters Towers Neighbourhood Centre Inc.– Whitsunday Housing Company– Girudala Community Co-operative Society Limited

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Key dates for Phase 1 (2013)

Notification of selected Phase 1 participants June

Briefing session for Phase 1 participants July

Start of registration application process Mid-July

Phase 1 assessments and draft reports Late September

Provider responses to draft reports Early October

Phase 1 registration final reports Late October

Final Evaluation Report Early November

National Regulatory Council meeting Mid-November

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• Providers can apply for registration• Existing providers will need to re-apply for registration

under the Housing Act 2003• Registrar will schedule application ‘windows’ for each tier• Registrations under the National Law will take place over

a 12-month period from 1 January 2014 (Phase 2). The transition period will end 30 June 2015

• Providers will need to demonstrate:– ongoing compliance with the National Law and– ongoing performance against the National Regulatory

Code

Formal commencement – 1 January 2014

Transfer of social housing management to the non-government sector

Kirstine Harvie

Executive Director

Housing Programs

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A new strategic approach

• Transfer 90% of the management of all government-owned social housing to the non-government sector by 2020

• Underpinned by the National Regulatory System • Providers must be registered to receive government

funding for a social housing service

• A range of new opportunities likely to emerge for community housing organisations in the coming months and years

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Draft transfer plan

• Draft transfer plan developed to meet the Housing 2020 commitment to transfer the management of social housing dwellings to the non-government sector

• Indicative only and subject to change as the transfer rollout continues

Draft transfer plan cont…

• Embeds the commitment to transfer management in Logan, the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Redcliffe and Gladstone during 2013/2014 and 2014/15

• General principle to package all tenancies managed by a Housing Service Centre for each procurement process

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Draft transfer plan cont…

• Earlier small scale transfers in rural and remote regions for efficiency reasons and to allow some providers to increase capacity

• 27 rural LGAs to be considered, including 11 areas outside south-west Queensland where Council is the only provider of social housing

• Housing Service Centres in Brisbane likely to remain with the department until towards the end of the implementation period

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Procurement strategy

• Procurement will be open, fair and transparent • Underlying principle will be contestability to ensure value

for money and the provision of high quality social housing services

• Providers will be required to deliver services that are financially-sustainable, regionally based and integrated

• Continuing role for some small providers

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Logan Renewal Initiative

• Seeking a suitable non-government entity to: – manage approximately 5,000 public housing and

community housing tenancies and properties– manage applications and referrals to other housing and human services– deliver private rental products

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Logan Renewal Initiative cont…

• First large-scale, social housing outsourcing project to be undertaken in Queensland

• Logan Renewal Board established to advise government

• Two-stage national open tender process in progress to identify a suitable non-government entity to deliver the required outcomes of the Initiative

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Logan Renewal Initiative cont…

• Stage 1 Expression of interest – a short-list of 3 proponents identified

• Stage 2 Request for Proposal – in progress, but a single proponent suitable for

advancing directly to negotiations with the State not identified to date

– more information will be provided to assist proponents to refine their proposals

– outcome expected in first half of 2014

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Future transfer projects

• Lessons learned from the Logan Renewal Initiative will be used to inform future transfer initiatives

• Department currently planning the transfers in the areas of Robina, Sunshine Coast, Redcliffe and Gladstone

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New reporting arrangements

• Department’s role as informed purchaser and contract manager

• Common program specifications

• Output and outcome focused approach for funding and monitoring performance from 1 January 2014

• Increased flexibility for providers

• Reduced red tape

• Department will focus on service efficiency and quality and value for money

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Capacity building

• Department committed to building sector capability

• Training is available to assist organisations to build capacity:– Certificate IV in Social Housing– Graduate Certificate in Social Science (Housing

Management and Policy)– training to build National Regulatory System readiness

• Department writing to all funded providers to provide information about the regulatory and funding changes

• Further workshops and discussions with providers will occur in relation to the indicative plan for transfer and sector capability

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Conclusion

• We all need to change the way we operate

• Department will work in partnership with our valued service partners to deliver on the government’s objectives

• Further regional meetings and workshops to be held across the State in the coming months