NT Shelters’ Regional Coordinator for Central Australia, Violet, travelled to Sydney to attend the CHIA:10th Affordable Housing Development and Investment Summit held 20-21st February 2025.

This is what Violet had to say;

Last month, NT Shelter attended the 10th Annual Affordable Housing Development and Investment Summit in Gadigal (Sydney), presented by CHIA (Community Housing Industry Australia). This year’s summit focus was ‘Housing Everyone Well – Mission Possible’ with the endeavour to work towards a future housing landscape whereby ‘one in ten Australian homes are social and affordable rentals’.

NT Shelter’s Regional Coordinator for Central Australia, Violet Kenne, had the opportunity to listen to several presentations and panel discussions that included expertise from within Australia and overseas. Violet takes us through some of the key points of the summit.

The facts

It’s no secret that Australia is grappling with a once-in-a-generation housing affordability crisis and no state or territory is immune. Bear with me while I get some of the more jarring facts out of the way.

Our colleagues over at CHIA recently led research that uncovered that in 24 key electorates, 28% of renters and mortgage holders spend over half their income on housing – and not surprisingly – these figures are exponentially higher in the outer suburbs and regions.

In the last 40 years alone, Australia’s social and affordable housing stock has dropped from 4.9% in 1981 to 3.8% in 2021 according to the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (2022) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2022). CHIA continues to lead the call that one in ten homes should be social and affordable housing as their research confirms that the ever-growing levels of housing stress have reached a critical stage, and this fact is particularly evident for lower income and vulnerable households.

CHIA’s call to action to the sector, private investors and developers, and the government at all levels could not be clearer – “The need for a bold, coordinated approach has never been more pressing” (Community Housing Industry Australia, 2025).

The summit

If you’re anything like me, and some of those statistics send you into a bit of an existential spiral, rest assured — after hearing from a diverse range of speakers, it became clear to me (and many others in the room) that there is hope. Fresh perspectives, implementable solutions, and practical strategies offer a way to tackle the housing challenges we face.

Throughout the summit, several speakers spoke about repaving the way to home ownership particularly for people who are already living in social or affordable housing. Now, you might be thinking “Hang on, Violet, when did home ownership come into the equation? Isn’t the goal here to increase the social and affordable housing stock?”.

While the answer to that is yes, it can’t hurt to start thinking about home ownership as a possibility for every Australian, just like it was (mostly) in 1991 where 25-39 year olds were three times as likely to own their homes outright than 25-39 year olds in 2021 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022).

Jon Turner, CEO of Link Group UK, offered the summit a case study on Link’s management of government Equity Schemes in Scotland to help alleviate the ‘Housing Emergency’ declared by the Scottish Government in May 2024. Jon ‘set the scene’, so to speak, and highlighted that the overall poverty in Scotland is at 20%, with 24% of children experiencing child poverty, and a further 53% of child poverty existing in ethnic minority communities.

Jon explained that the Scottish government currently offers three equity schemes to assist individuals in purchasing homes. Of the three schemes, Link Group manages two – the Low-Cost Initiative for First-Time Buyers (LIFT) and then Shared Ownership scheme. There are several benefits to a community housing provider like Link Group managing government schemes, these are a few that Jon mentioned that I felt were striking:

• Link Group can further strengthen their mission by targeting and assisting low to moderate income households access homeownership through administering schemes like LIFT and Shared Equity.
• Through their model of care, Link Group can work to ensure that new homeowners receive ongoing support, reducing the risk of financial hardship or repossession.
• While Link Group operates as a non-profit, managing government-backed schemes generates revenue through several facets which can then be reinvested into more social and affordable housing development.

This case study presented by Link Group exemplified what a coordinated approach between a community housing provider and government departments could achieve.

Another key focus of the summit was the importance of partnerships in such a complex field, as large-scale housing projects often require collaboration beyond a single organisation to ensure long-term sustainability.

Leonie King (City West Housing), Andrew McAnulty (Link Wentworth) and Paul Coe (Birribee Housing) presented to the summit the ‘Waterloo Community Housing Partnership – Together Collectively Stronger’, which in essence, is a partnership between three CEOs who share the same hopes, values and level of commitment to achieve a common goal.

The trio outlined the project’s key details, estimating 6,000 new dwellings in Waterloo upon completion. This 10-year project aims to deliver its first homes by 2029 (subject to developer approval), with 50% of stock designated for social and affordable housing and supporting infrastructure and open spaces. The project also holds a commitment to keeping market-rate dwellings below 50% of the gross floor area (GFA).

Additionally, the project aims to develop new streets, public parks, retail and community infrastructure. The project has clear objectives which include fostering a mixed-tenure community, positive outcomes for residents, positive outcomes for First Nations people, and an enduring sense of place for all.

Aside from the partnership between the three community housing providers, Homes NSW, which is the existing landowner and tenancy manager, as well as Stockland (developer), are also active parties involved in the project.

When asked why partnerships could be the way of the future – the trio pointed out several undeniable benefits which they had experienced first-hand, including:

• Access to additional resources, expertise and networks
• A culture of innovation through the sharing of ideas
• Increased leverage to deliver greater impact
• Increased capacity to drive sustainable change