Phase 2: Registration (capability uplift and registration status)
Under this phase Aboriginal Organisations would strengthen their capability and capacity, in preparation for their application to become a registered housing agency.
Aboriginal Organisations strengthen their capability and capacity, in preparation for their application to become a registered housing agency.
1. Workforce
Aboriginal Organisations will need to have an adequately resourced and a suitably skilled workforce that will:
- Support the organisation to work through the process to achieve registration status. For example, newly established housing agencies have typically employed 2 full time employees over 3 months
- Manage social housing tenancies. For example, the average registered housing agency will employ one full-time employee who will manage approximately 50-100 tenancies, depending on commercial viability.
2. Policy and procedures
Aboriginal Organisations should review and update all policies and procedures to ensure that they can fulfill their responsibilities as a Registered Housing Agency.
3. Regulation and governance
As part of the registration process, Aboriginal Organisations will be required to provide the Housing Registrar with supporting documentation that they are an agency that is well-governed and is able to provide services relating to social housing, including:
- Ensuring coherent and robust strategic, operational, financial and risk planning
- Ensuring effective, transparent and accountable arrangements and controls are in place for decision making to give effect to strategic, operational, financial and risk plans
- Complying with legal requirements and relevant government policies
- Ensuring that the governing body has members with appropriate expertise or that this expertise is available to the governing body.
4. Eligibility and registration criteria
To obtain registration in Victoria as a registered agency, Aboriginal Organisations must satisfy the Registrar of Housing Agencies that they:
- Meet all criteria specified within Schedule 7 of Part VIII of the Housing Act 1983 (Vic) (Housing Act)
- Have the capacity to meet gazetted Performance Standards as part of their ongoing compliance.
Eligibility and registration criteria
4.1 General
4.2 Constitution - objects and powers
4.3 Constitution - additional provisions
4.4 Capacity to meet performance standards
5. Application process
A key aspect of this phase is the Aboriginal Organisations ensuring that the application is accurately completed and all the required documentation is provided to become registered.
This includes the following:
- Applying for registration to become a registered agency
- Registration application process and timelines
- Conditions of Registration.
For more information, please visit the 'Applying for registration'-page on the Housing Registrar website
Application process
5.1 Applying for registration to become a registered agency
5.2 Application timelines
5.3 Conditions of registration
6. IT and systems
Aboriginal Organisations will need to identify and assess their need for appropriate IT Infrastructure and software to manage social housing tenancies.
A useful resource for Aboriginal Organisations to use throughout this section is the CHIA NSW & ACHIA NSW Property/Housing Software Procurement Guide.
This resource provides a guide and point of evaluation of key systems and products the Aboriginal Organisation will need to use to manage tenancies, specifically the following:
- 5.0 Software Suppliers & Products
- 5.1 Integrated Tenancy and Asset Management Systems
- 5.2 Real Estate Software Suppliers
- 5.3 Best-of-Breed Asset Management/Maintenance Software Products.
For more information, visit the CHIA Vic website.