Streamlining community housing registrations

St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria state president Michael Quinn, chief executive Julia Cambage and Homes Victoria chief executive Ben Rimmer marked the beginning of construction on a new 18-storey residential building in Footscray earlier this year, which is set to house 92 new homes from early 2024. (Matthew Sims) 293789_01

Community housing providers, including those in Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay, can now access state government funding quicker, as the state government puts streamlined arrangements in place so providers can register with the Housing Register in less time.

The Housing Registrar oversees the state’s community housing sector and ensures performance standards are met to ensure high-quality services are delivered to tenants.

The changes are part of the $5.3 billion Big Housing Build initiative, which will save at least four weeks in the process of ensuring providers meet requirements and cut back on the administrative burden faced by not-for-profit organisations.

Regulatory Reform and Housing Minister Danny Pearson said the state government will continue to streamline the process moving forward.

“These changes will add further momentum to the delivery of social housing by helping community housing providers access funding and start work on new projects faster,” he said.

“It’s about making everyday tasks easier and faster, and that makes a lot of sense.”

The community housing reform is one of 57 projects funded through the state government’s $40 million Regulation Reform Incentive Fund to reduce red tape, simplify processes and speed up approvals to enable up to $200 million in ongoing annual benefits.

The landmark Big Housing Build is delivering more than 12,000 new homes while generating 10,000 jobs each year over the four-year program.