Board

CHFA’s board is drawn of nominated delegates from within our member organisations. Board elections are held annually at our annual general meeting, which is presided by delegates from each of our member organisations. The board is comprised of a Chairperson, a Treasurer, and five additional board members.

2012 Board

Chairperson
Derek Yule
Churches Housing Inc.

Derek Yule is the Executive Officer of Churches Housing Inc.  He has held this position for over twelve years prior to which he was involved in the management of supported accommodation for the church sector.

Churches Housing Inc. is the peak for the churches community housing sector in NSW and has also been involved in the development of housing partnerships between the churches and government and NRAS developments.  Over the past five years the organisation established a supported housing company that is now a separate community housing company ‘Ecclesia Housing’.

Derek holds degrees in Theology and a Master of Management in the management of non-profit organisations and has previously served on the CHFA Board as Treasurer and been a member of numerous consultative advisory boards and committees.

Treasurer
Faye Minty
Capital Community Housing

Faye Minty is the Executive Officer of Capital Community Housing (CCH), a not for profit organisation that provides housing and tenancy management services to people with disabilities living in the ACT. Faye joined CCH in March 2008 and has, over the past three years focussed on expanding CCH’s business; CCH has grown from managing 26 properties with 50 tenants to double in size, to 50 properties with over 100 clients.  

Faye’s experience in the property industry spans 27 years from taking her first job in the real estate industry as a trainee property manager.  A love of housing and a belief in Social Justice principles led Faye to move to the not for profit sector.  Prior to joining CCH Faye was the Executive Officer of the Coalition of Community Housing Organisations of the ACT; the peak body for Community Housing Providers in the ACT.

Faye has a degree in Applied Science – Land Economics.

Steve Bevington 
Community Housing Limited (CHL)

Steve Bevington is the Managing Director of Community Housing Ltd (CHL). With a $63,000 grant from Community Equity Limited, Steve established and developed Community Housing Limited in 1993.

Steve is one of Australia’s leading experts on housing affordability. Over almost 30 years, Steve has grown and managed social and affordable housing organisations in England and Australia. This includes the development of cooperative housing in London, the Chairmanship of the London Borough of Camden council housing authority in the 1980s, and managing housing cooperative programs for the Victorian Ministry of Housing & Construction from1989-1991.

Steve holds a Diploma of Management (Melbourne Business School), is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors,is a Registered Domestic & Commercial Builder, and a Trade qualified-Builder.

Steve has also previously held the position of Chairperson of CHFA.

Adam Farrar
NSW Federation of Housing Associations (NSWFHA)

Adam Farrar’s professional involvement in housing extends over twenty years but he also has wide experience in the community sector. This includes working at the NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS) where he was Deputy Director, and ACOSS where he was respectively Head of the Urban & regional Development Unit and Policy Manager of the Future of Work Program.  He has been a board member of a housing association, a childcare peak (Community Child Care), chair of the Consumer Credit Legal Service, and was the independent Chair of the NSW Supported Accommodation Advisory Council.  

Through his previous position as Executive Director of the National Community Housing Forum, he helped build a national approach to community housing and undertook research as an associate of the Australian Housing & Urban Research Institute and has been an AHURI Board member. Adam is also the principal housing policy advisor to the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS).

Adam has a Masters degree from Sydney University, and is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a member of the Australasian Housing Institute.

Ciarán Synnott 
Community Housing Council of SA (CHCSA)

Ciaran Synnott is the Executive Officer of the Community Housing Council of South Australia (CHCSA) and has been in this position since early 2002. CHCSA is the peak body for approximately 110 community housing organisations in South Australia managing some 4500 tenancies.

Amongst other roles in Mental Health and Youth Affairs, Ciaran has 30 years experience in housing, working in the private, government and non-government sectors across public, private rental and community housing. He has worked in real estate sales, property and tenancy management, service delivery management, policy and project development as well as consumer advocacy.

Ciaran is a former Chair of the South Australian Ministerial Housing Advisory Council-Community Sector and a founding member of the South Australian Branch of the Australasian Housing Institute.

Ciaran was first elected to the CHFA Board in 2002 and was Chairperson from 2007-2010.

Ciaran holds a B.A Social Work: Advanced Diploma of Community Services (Management)

Jacqui Watt
Community Housing Federation of Victoria (CHFV)

Jacqui Watt is the CEO of the Community Housing Federation of Victoria.  Previously at the helm of Scotland’s peak body for community housing, the SFHA, Jacqui has over 25 years experience in both public and community sector organisations. She has worked in drugs and alcohol, disability care, and mental health seminars always with a housing angle. Jacqui was also Director of both the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum and the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition.  

In her role as CHFV CEO, Jacqui has developed a clear vision and strategic focus for the organisation which has been supported through a detailed policy platform and a strong commitment to improving the profile and visibility of CHFV to its members and key stakeholders.

Margaret Ponting
Queensland Community Housing Coalition (QCHC)