About Community Housing

Community housing is defined as rental housing provided by a not-for-profit community based organisation at below market rent for low to moderate income tenants. 

Community housing is an integral part of the housing system and aims to provide a housing option that is affordable, secure, responds to local community needs and supports tenant participation. 

The National Community Housing Standards Manual (3rd Edition) describes the aims of community housing as follows: 

Affordability – to ensure that housing costs do not create hardship for tenants.

Choice – to provide people in need of housing with a diverse choice of housing options.

Responsiveness - To respond to the needs of individual tenants and their changing circumstances by ensuring that housing is appropriate to tenants’ needs and is managed flexibly.

Security - To ensure that tenants are secure in their housing, are housed in accordance with jurisdictional policy and meet the tenancy agreement.

Sustainability - To contribute to successful tenancies and the development of sustainable communities, by being supportive of tenants’ wider social needs and building their independence.

Fairness - To ensure equitable access to community housing regardless of people’s cultural identity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age and household composition; and to treat tenants fairly in all matters relating to their tenancy.

Respect - To ensure that all tenants’ rights are respected and to treat tenants with respect in all dealings.

Participation - To actively seek the participation of tenants in decisions about their tenancy and the management of organisations.

Partnerships - To work in partnership with governments and communities in developing housing and related services which meet tenant and community needs.

Quality - To provide the best possible accommodation and housing services to tenants.

Accountability - To be accountable to tenants, the community and government for the effectiveness of the service provided and for the use of public funds; and by doing so, to enhance the credibility of community housing options.