To keep our finger on the industry’s pulse and ensure we are delivering on behalf of the sector, CHIA Vic regularly engages with our membership on the latest industry reforms, innovations and developments. This proactive approach means the sector is well prepared to take advantage of new developments. In 2018/19, this included assisting members to develop all required policies, to understand their options around the availability of low-cost loans, and providing an opportunity for them to give feedback on the review of the National Regulatory System for Community Housing.
Developing policies for success project
Following the Victorian’ Housing Registrar’s publication of the Guidance Note: Agency Publication of Online Policies in February, CHIA Vic began a project to assist members to ensure they were compliant with Performance Standard 1. This standard requires all agencies to be fair, transparent and responsive to tenants, residents and all other clients (and applicants) and to make their policies publicly available in a variety of formats, including online.
This project involved hosting a policy forum and drafting 14 communiques to members over an 11-week period; and contacting individual member agencies multiple times to check on their progress and offer support, advice and guidance. This support included drafting template policies to cover Inspections, Tenant Damage (tenant recharge) and Neighbours, to add to the suite of six templates that had previously been created to assist with the VHR opt-in process.
CHIA Vic also developed and distributed checklists for members to use prior to the end of financial year deadline. By the deadline, all registered agencies had either established websites and had published all available policies, or they had been approved for an extension. The Housing Register subsequently began a regulatory audit of compliance and worked in consultation with members to resolve issues.
Template Policies
