SOCIAL HOUSING

• New governance and accountability arrangements for Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs);

• Introduced the requirement for formal community benefit schemes including social housing scheme

• LALCs must must make application to gain NSWALC approval to operate existing Social Housing Schemes by July 2010.

Major changes to the Act in 2006, took effect from 1 July 2007 and included the following:

The ALRA defines a Social Housing Scheme as:

“the acquisition and provision by or on behalf of a Local Aboriginal Land Council of residential accommodation for Aboriginal persons in its area and to the construction, upgrading and extension of any such accommodation (a social housing scheme).”

An Existing Social Housing Scheme is residential accommodation provided by a LALC to Aboriginal persons before the 1 July 2007.

All existing Social Housing Schemes must be approved to continue to operate after 30 June 2010.

WHAT IS A SOCIAL HOUSING SCHEME?

LALC Social Housing

2,616 Houses managed by LALC’s

12,295 (approx.) No. Aboriginal People live in LALC Housing (4.7 occupancy)

8.5% of Aboriginal People in NSW live in LALC housing.

Aboriginal Social HousingRegistered Aboriginal Housing Providers

Other ICHM43%

LALC57%

Registered Aboriginal Housing Providers

Other ICHM43%

LALC57%

NSW Aboriginal Housing Stock by Owner

48%

22%

30%

Aboriginal Housing Office Local Aboriginal Land Councils

Aboriginal Community Housing Providers

NSW Aboriginal Housing Stock by Owner

48%

22%

30%

Aboriginal Housing Office Local Aboriginal Land Councils

Aboriginal Community Housing Providers

Local Aboriginal Land Councils represent over half of all AHO registered Housing Providers

And LALC housing stock of 2,616 accounts for 1/3 of all Aboriginal Housing Stock in NSW

LALC STOCKLALC Managed Housing Stock

62%

8%

2%

8%

20%

Owned by LALC

Owned By AHO

Owned By NSW Land &HousingOwned By Other

Not Yet Identified

LALC applies and meets requirements of ALRA and receives approval to continue to operate the scheme

LALC housing scheme fails to obtain approval then the LALC will be required to outsource the scheme to another body or agency.

There are two possible outcomes when a LALC makes an application to NSWALC for

approval to operate a social housing scheme

SUMMARY OF THE PROCESS

LALC makes an Application

Statutory ParametersALRA

NSWALC Policy

Other ConsiderationsCommonwealth and State Government policy positions

Financial Capacity

NSWALC Assessment

Administrative Capacity

ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY

1. the scheme complies with this Act, the Regulations and the Policy of the NSWALC; and

2. the scheme is consistent with the community, land and business plan (if any) of the LALC; and

3. the scheme is fair and equitable and will be administered in a responsible and transparent way; and

FINANCIAL CAPACITY

NSWALC must not approve unless the LALC demonstrate that;

1. the income (including any subsidies and grants) from the existing social housing scheme is or will be sufficient to meet all the expenses of the scheme, including long term maintenance requirements;

2. is not likely to prevent the LALC from being able to meet its debts as and when they fall due; and

3. it has considered the impact of the scheme on the overall financial position of the Local Aboriginal Land Council.

SUMMARY OF THE ISSUES

A LALC has two options when making an application

1. To operate their own Social Housing Scheme [Schedule 4 Cl. 45]This may be managed internally or through a property manager

2. To outsource Lease to an alternative body [s40B]

LALC Social Housing Scheme

LALC will have to be able to prove that they have the administrative and financial capacity to operate the scheme to the satisfaction of NSWALC

Outsource

The body to which a scheme is outsourced will have to prove they have the administrative and financial capacity to operate the scheme to the satisfaction of NSWALC

COMMONWEALTH POLICY POSITIONS

National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) currently being negotiated with States.

Includes funding for Remote Indigenous Housing

NSWALC understands that the Commonwealth requires Aboriginal land owners to lease their land to a state authority for at least 40 years before any monies will be provided to maintain the existing housing stock. No monies or new stock will be provided to Aboriginal Community housing providers

Will this be the Policy in NSW ?

NSW GOVERNMENT POLICY POSITIONS

?

WHERE ARE WE NOW ????