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Published: Thursday, 10 October 2019 14:43

The NSW Government and 10 community housing providers today celebrated the successful transition of some 14,000 tenancies over the past 12 months, including the delivery of private rental assistance, to the community housing sector.

The Thank You event at NSW Parliament was co-hosted by the NSW Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services, Gareth Ward MP, and Bridge Housing. 

It was to thank Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ, formerly FACS) and Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) staff for a seamless transition and successful partnership under the Social Housing Management Transfer (SHMT) program. It was attended by representatives from all providers, as well as the DJC and LAHC staff, and the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA NSW).  

Bridge Housing, in partnership with the Women’s Housing Company, transitioned the Northern Beaches portfolio of about 1,200 properties from 5 August this year.

The entire Social Housing Management Transfer program was completed in early September when Hume Community Housing assumed tenancy management of the Maitland/Port Stephens area. Nine providers won competitive tenders to manage housing portfolios across Sydney and NSW for the next 20 years.

Speaking at the event, Minister Ward said: “Having had a look at the experiences of other jurisdictions, not just in this country but around the world, who have done this, it is commendable the way in which staff have gone about this transfer and the smooth transition that has occurred. You are to be commended for your passion, your dedication to helping vulnerable people and to making this transfer work.”

Speaking on behalf of all the providers, CEO John Nicolades said: “This program represents the biggest single transition of social housing tenancies ever to the community sector anywhere in Australia. It has built the capacity of housing providers to operate at scale and enabled many more residents to experience the high customer service standards enjoyed by community housing tenants.”

“On behalf of all the providers who’ve participated in this ground-breaking program, I thank the Minister and NSW Government for investing in our well-established, well-regulated sector to house some of the most vulnerable people in the State.”

Read The Fifth Estate article. 

Learn more about our Northern Beaches portfolio. 

The community housing providers managing public housing under the SHMT program are: 

  • Bridge Housing, in partnership with the Women’s Housing Company: 1,200 properties on the Northern Beaches, Sydney
  • Community Housing Limited: 1,400 properties on the mid-North Coast
  • Compass Housing Services: 1,800 properties in the Hunter and North Coast 
  • Homes North Community Housing: 1,700 properties in Northern NSW
  • Hume Community Housing: 2,200 properties in Maitland and Port Stephens
  • Link Housing: 1,800 properties on the Upper North Shore, Sydney
  • Mission Australia Housing: 1,060 properties in Coffs Harbour and Bellingen
  • Southern Cross Housing: 960 properties in the Shoalhaven
  • SGCH (St George Community Housing): 1,400 properties in Northern Sydney.
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