Acknowledgement
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we live and work and we pay our respects to them, their cultures and their Elders past and present.
Illustrations
The illustrations in the Aboriginal Housing Registration Guide were created by Emma Bamblett.
Emma Bamblett, a proud Aboriginal woman descended from the Wemba Wemba, Gunditjmara, Ngadjonji and Taungurung people, was born and raised in Echuca on the Murray River.
Overview
In February 2020, the Victorian Government helped launch the Victorian Aboriginal Housing and Homelessness Framework – Mana-na woorn-tyeen maar-takoort: Every Aboriginal Person Has a Home (the Framework). The Framework sets out a blueprint to improve Aboriginal housing outcomes for Aboriginal Victorians.
In November 2020, the Victorian Government announced funding to support Aboriginal housing needs. The funding, included in the $5.3 billion Big Housing Build, ensures the delivery of 10% (820 net new dwellings) of all net new social housing dwellings to support Aboriginal people.
The Aboriginal Housing Registration Guide is a resource to assist with Goal 5.2.2 in Mana-na woorn-tyeen maar-takoort which states ‘The Housing Registration system needs to ensure a culturally safe community housing sector for Aboriginal clients; has the flexibility to register Aboriginal housing agencies, recognising their particular strengths; and provides activity and outcomes reporting back to the Aboriginal community’.
Read more about Mana-na woorn-tyeen maar-takoort
Why should Aboriginal Organisations consider becoming a registered Community Housing Agency?
Some of the many benefits for Aboriginal Organisations that become a registered Community Housing Agency (CHA) include the ability to:
- Provide an entry point into the housing sector
- Provide improved access to possible Big Housing Build funding and resources
- Add to significant economic development related to building and growing the Aboriginal housing sector
- Complement and add to existing service provision
- Respond to their community need.
Becoming a registered housing agency benefits renters by making sure providers comply to performance standards while also supporting renters to resolve complaints should they arise.
Purpose and scope
The purpose of the Aboriginal Housing Registration Guide is to provide a culturally appropriate resource that will:
- Support more Aboriginal Organisations to become registered housing agencies
- Support Aboriginal Organisations to navigate the housing registration process
- Strengthen the eligibility of Aboriginal Organisations to participate in funding opportunities
- Enable Aboriginal self-determination by putting the control of Aboriginal tenancy management back in the hands of the Aboriginal Organisations
- Provide Aboriginal tenants with greater choice over who they receive tenancy management supports from
- Support the growth of the broader housing system and build the capability to meet the future demands on the housing system, including greater capacity of the sector to deliver culturally safe services to Aboriginal Victorians.
The Aboriginal Housing Registration Guide is not setting a pathway to change registration criteria.
The guide is not intended to replicate or override any existing regulatory requirements.
Pathways
There are 2 pathways that Aboriginal Organisations can take to become registered housing agencies. Both pathways include 3 key phases:
- Phase 1: Pre-registration
- Phase 2: Registration
- Phase 3: Post registration & compliance
Downloads
Download a printable version of the Aboriginal Housing Registration Guide