Premier

Cutting Red Tape, Fast-Tracking Approvals For Community Housing

15 September 2022

The Andrews Labor Government has junked red tape that has previously had the potential to delay starts on new community housing projects.

The move makes it easier for Victoria’s not-for-profit community housing providers to access government funding to develop new accommodation for families and individuals.

The streamlined arrangements make it quicker for community housing providers to register with the Housing Registrar – a vital step to establish bona fides and a pre-requisite for funding support.

The $5.3 billion Big Housing Build has driven significant growth in the community housing sector and this improved approvals system will help providers to get on with providing important new projects.

The initiative will save at least four weeks in the process of ensuring providers are meeting all requirements and will also reduce the administrative burden for the not-for-profit organisations.

Melbourne City Mission Housing is one of the not-for-profits benefiting from the change as it continues its work supporting the community.

The Housing Registrar has oversight of the community housing sector in Victoria, ensuring performance standards are met to enable quality services to be delivered to tenants.

The community housing reform is one of 57 projects funded through the Labor 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 – boosting Victoria’s social housing supply by 10 per cent – while generating 10,000 jobs each year over the four-year program.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Regulatory Reform and Housing Danny Pearson

“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.”

“We’ll continue to examine the way we do things because we know the benefits can be substantial and improve people’s lives. It’s about making everyday tasks easier and faster, and that makes a lot of sense.”

Quote attributable to Melbourne City Mission Housing Chief Executive Officer Lisa Dalla-Zuanna

“The new process was excellent and the assistance from the Registrar’s office has given Melbourne City Mission Housing the ability to provide social housing and better support for homeless young people across Melbourne.”

Reviewed 16 September 2022

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