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Table of Contents

Section 1: Governance & Management 2

Company Profile 2

Corporate Structure 3

Directors 4

Chairpersons Report 6

Strategic Directions 7

CEO’s Report 8

Staff 10

Corporate Governance 12

Section 2: Alice Springs Town Camps 13

Community Engagement 14

Tenancy Management 16

Housing Maintenance Coordination 20

Environmental Health 22

Community Centre Upgrades 24

Section 3: Community Housing 25

Stage 1: St Mary’s

Stage 2: Indigenous Affordable Housing Project 28

Stage 3: Indigenous Affordable Housing Project Mark II 30

Stage 4: Future Innovations 32

Section 4: Remote Housing 33

Developing an Alternative Model for the Bush 33

Working with Remote Communities 33

Section 5: Financial Position 35

Memberships & Accreditation 36

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Company Profile

Vision

Our VISION is to provide HEALTHY HOMES in HEALTHY COMMUNITIES through a HEALTHY

ORGANISATION.

Values

LISTEN FIRST: We will always pay attention, wait and respect other people’s point of

view.

CHALLENGE: We will have the courage to challenge ourselves and others, to speak

out and question.

INNOVATION: We will be forward looking in all our thinking and actions to encourage

creative solutions.

RESPECT: We will have regard, tolerance and acceptance of the rights of others

to their culture, beliefs and opinion.

DIVERSITY: We will understand that no two persons are the same and that we will

provide choice in housing, services and opportunity.

Mission

Our MISSION is to provide AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS to the people of the CENTRAL

AUSTRALIAN REGION particularly ABORIGINAL PEOPLES and / or those reliant on LOW

INCOMES.

Status

CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPANY is a NOT-FOR-PROFIT special

purpose community housing development and management company incorporated as a

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE and registered as a TAX CONCESSION CHARITY with

PUBLIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION status.

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Directors

David Avery (Chairperson)

David is long term resident of Alice Springs since 1986. He has been practising

as a Barrister & Solicitor since 1971 in the Northern Territory. After a short period

at the Bar, David joined the Central Land Council as Manager of its Legal

Services in 1986. David was involved in the development of CLC policies and

responses to proposed legislative initiatives. David has rejoined the Board this

year after a short break and has subsequently been appointed Chair.

Shirleen Campbell

Shirleen is a mother of five children managing a very busy household and

coordinating the many sporting activities of her children. She is a resident

of Hoppy’s Town Camp in Alice Springs and serves as President of the

Housing Association. Shirleen also volunteers for the Tangentyere Council

where she is a member of the Executive and the Women’s Executive.

Paul Case

Paul is an accountant and business advisor who joined accountancy

practice MLCS Corporate in 1995. He became a Director of the MLCS in

1999 and spends much of his professional life advising Indigenous business

initiatives in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia.

Paul has a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Adelaide and is an

Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a registered Company

Auditor and an authorised representative of Count Financial (Financial

Planning).

David Donald

David is an architect working in a private practice based in Newcastle

NSW. He formerly managed the Housing Division of Tangentyere Council

prior to it being transformed in CAAHC. Dave was instrumental in

developing the initial concept and business plan for CAAHC and is

passionate about healthy housing for Indigenous families.

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Directors

Eileen Hoosan

Eileen is a long term resident of Mt Nancy Town Camp in Alice Springs. She is a

member of the Executive of the Tangentyere Council and has been a

member of the Tangentyere Women’s Council for many years. Eileen also

serves as President of the Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programs Unit

in Alice Springs.

Roz Marden

Roz has worked at the Tangentyere Council for 23 years as accountant and

Chief Financial Officer. Prior to that Roz gained experience in a number of

bookkeeping roles and teaching in business management. In addition to

her Commerce degree Roz has qualifications in Education and Business

Systems Design and Management. Roz resigned from the Board during the

year in preparation for her imminent retirement from Tangentyere and

return to Queensland.

Patrick McDonald

Patrick is an accountant who trained at the University of Adelaide where he

completed a Bachelor of Economics with Honours and a Bachelor of

Commerce. He has spent the last 15 years working for Tangentyere Council in

senior positions including two years as Chief Financial Officer and four years

as Chief Operating Officer. Patrick is Chartered Practicing Accountant (CPA)

and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Patrick

joined the Board following the retirement of Roz Marden as one of the

Tangentyere nominated Directors of the Company.

Paul Pholeros

Paul is a Director of Healthabitat which has worked to improve the living

environment and health of Indigenous people in many suburban, rural and

remote areas of Australia. Healthabitat have improved more than 7,000

houses in 180 projects around Australia. This has resulted in healthier living

conditions for over 40,000 Australian Indigenous people. Paul is also

currently the Vice Chair of Emergency Architects Australia and Adjunct

Professor of Architecture at the University of Sydney.

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Chairpersons Report

The 2013-2014 year has been a positive and constructive one for CAAHC.

I would like to thank fellow Directors for their contribution and their enthusiastic participation

in the Strategic Planning workshop that helped clarify our aims and objectives for this year

and the medium term future.

The workshop assisted the company retain its focus on being a special purpose community

housing organisation for Central Australia and identify our three priorities:

i. Provide the best possible housing management service for the Town Camps of Alice

Springs

ii. Expand the supply of affordable housing within Alice Springs for Indigenous people

iii. Develop an alternative housing management model for the remote communities of

Central Australia which is more integrated and responsive

From the Board’s perspective the highlights of the year have been:

Signing a communication protocol with Tangentyere Council, which represents the

16 Town Camps we service, has significantly improved communication between the

two organisations and is leading to improvements in our service delivery and a better

understanding of rights and responsibilities under the current public housing

arrangements by residents.

Purchase of the site at 5 Bloomfield Street and the commencement of construction

of 11 new medium density units for small Aboriginal households as part of our

Indigenous Affordable Housing Project funded in part by the Aboriginal Benefits

Account.

Acquisition of a medium density site in the new Kilgariff subdivision for a future

development of 4 houses under a rent to buy model.

The close working relationship with the Central Land Council and the collaborative

advice that has been developed and communicated to both the Commonwealth

and Territory governments on alternative ways to provide housing management to

remote communities.

This year the Board has also sought to implement mechanisms to ensure better governance.

We have established three Board Committees which has eased the pressure on Board

meetings and provided greater due diligence on proposals from management. I wish to

acknowledge the cooperation and contribution of each of the Directors.

I would also like to acknowledge the commitment and hard work of the management team

and all the staff. Our small company has one of the most difficult briefs of any community

housing organisation in Australia and our team of loyal employees take pride in doing the

best they can under the often difficult circumstances. During 2014 we have operated under

a deficit budget to enable us to adequately resource the task of managing the Town

Camps.

As 2014 draws to an end we eagerly await the release of the next tender for housing

management on Town Camps. CAAHC is committed to presenting a proposal based on

best practice and, if successful with our bid, we will enthusiastically take on the task of

providing an even better service over the next period.

David Avery (Chair)

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Corporate Structure

Central Australian

Affordable Housing

Company Ltd

Constitution

Ordinary

Members

Founding

Members

Tangentyere

Council

Central Australian

Affordable Housing

Company Ltd

Board of Directors

Central Australian

Affordable Housing

Company Ltd

CEO

Central Australian

Affordable Housing

Company Ltd

STAFF

Central Land

Council

Healthabitat

MLCS

Corporate

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Strategic Directions 2014

PRIORITY 1: BEST PRACTICE HOUSING MANAGEMENT FOR THE ALICE SPRINGS TOWN CAMPS

AIM 1: Provide best practice in housing management with a focus on tenant

needs.

AIM 2: Build our asset management capabilities so we can enhance the

quality of housing maintenance in the Town Camps.

AIM 3: Work with Tangentyere Council to develop strategies for the future

development of the Town Camps.

PRIORITY 2: EXPAND THE SUPPLY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHIN THE ALICE SPRINGS

TOWNSHIP

AIM 1: Complete the ABA/NRAS funded Indigenous Affordable Housing

Project.

AIM 2: Work collaboratively with the Department of Housing to develop a

new community housing model for the NT

AIM 3: Manage St Mary’s site to demonstrate the benefits of community

housing management in Alice Springs.

AIM 4: Investigate the opportunities for new affordable housing projects

beyond the Indigenous Affordable Housing Project.

PRIORITY 3: SUPPORT THE CLC TO DEVELOP AND ADVOCATE AN ALTERNATIVE MODEL FOR

INTEGRATED AND RESPONSIVE COMMUNITY HOUSING MANAGEMENT IN

REMOTE COMMUNITIES.

AIM 1: Advise and assist CLC to research, articulate and document an

alternative community based housing management approach in

remote communities which integrates tenancy and property

management and delivers more effective, efficient and responsive

service to residents.

AIM 2: With the full support of one remote community and the CLC

implement a trial of the alternative housing management approach

within that community.

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CEO’s Report

As noted by the Chair our year began with a Board workshop at which our strategic priorities

for the short term were clarified. This workshop drew upon the insights of our staff and the

advice of our Members and resulted in a three pronged plan as summarised in the Strategic

Directions 2014 statement overleaf.

Working in the Alice Springs Town Camps

The main purpose for the establishment of CAAHC was to provide high quality housing

management for the Town Camps of Alice Springs. This remains a high priority. It is also a very

challenging task – one which is made all the more difficult by trying to force a square block

into a round hole!! Eighteen months into this role I am not convinced that the “public

housing” model is the right one for Town Camps or indeed Indigenous Housing full stop. A

community housing approach which draws on the major advances in that sector across

most Australian States over the last two decades is more likely to provide the flexibility and

responsiveness required to fully engage Town Camp residents and restore their hope for a

better future and their commitment to the development of their communities.

With this in mind we have embarked on a range of initiatives designed to move closer to that

goal while continuing to deliver an effective service under public housing policies and

procedures. These initiatives include:

Developing a Communications Protocol with Tangentyere Council which has clarified

roles and responsibilities, created channels for a positive exchange of information

and opportunities for collaboration on initiatives that enhance community living on

Town Camps.

Created the position of Asset Manager with a focus on coordinating systems for

reporting and tracking housing maintenance requests on the Town Camps – an area

of great confusion and frustration for many residents.

Negotiated with the Department of Housing to take on the role of convening,

facilitating and administering Housing Reference Groups for the 16 Town Camps

which provide an avenue for residents to have a voice on the management of their

own communities.

Conducted an environmental health education program focused on key risks to

community and personal health in the Town Camps.

Working with Tangentyere Council to assist with the implementation of projects to

upgrade the community centres at Larapinta Valley, Karnte and Trucking Yards.

Advocated for a restructure of the housing management arrangements for the Town

Camps based on integration of tenancy and property management functions to

deliver more effective services to residents.

Increasing the supply of Community Housing in Alice Springs

Creating new housing opportunities for Aboriginal people within the urban framework of

Alice Springs is also a high priority for CAAHC. Through our development activities we aim to

overcome the barriers Aboriginal people face in the housing market – cost, choice and

discrimination.

This year has been an exciting year as we have embarked on a number of developments

including:

Purchase of a site in Bloomfield Street, Gillen and the commencement of construction

of 11 medium density units – these units will be occupied as affordable rental during

2015.

Purchase of a medium density site in the new Kilgariff subdivision which will be

developed in the future for an affordable rent to buy model.

Renegotiation of the lease on the St Mary’s site which will see CAAHC manage the

site until June 30, 2017 providing 12 dwellings for affordable rental while assisting the

Anglican Diocese with investigating and developing a long term future for the site.

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Successfully submitting a tender to take on the management of 10 x 2 bedroom

dwellings in Elliot Street, Braitling which will be managed as affordable rental housing

for older persons.

In addition to these developments we have been an active participant in NT Shelter which is

the peak organisation for agencies interested in working collaboratively for an increase in

the supply of affordable housing in the Territory.

As part of this involvement we have assisted with the establishment of the Community

Housing Coalition of NT which has an initial membership of 11 non-government organisations.

The Coalition has made submissions to the Department of Housing advocating for a greater

role for community housing organisations.

Supporting initiatives for an alternative Housing Management Model for Remote Communities

CAAHC has worked closely with the Central Land Council to develop and promote an

alternative to the public housing model which has been implemented across remote

communities over the last few years.

This year has been an explorative year in relation to remote housing where much has been

learnt while action will come in the future. Initiatives included:

Assisting the CLC to define and document a community housing model based on the

development of a regulated community housing sector in other States of Australia

and promoting that to the Commonwealth and Territory governments.

Collaborating with APONT (the Aboriginal Peak Organisations of the NT) on the

planning of a major conference on remote housing to be conducted in early 2015.

Responding to an invitation from the Amoonguna Community to develop a model of

housing management for the community – that model has been developed and the

community is deciding whether to proceed.

It is evident from this summary of highlights that the year has been busy and productive. Our

achievements from a national community housing perspective may appear modest but

given the context in which we work I am extremely proud of what we as a team have

achieved. The management team are skilled and professional and take full responsibility for

leadership in their respective areas. All members of staff are committed to and enthusiastic

about what the company is seeking to achieve and go about their role with dedication and

compassion.

I wish to acknowledge the contributions of Deanna Willetts and Steven Lake who moved on

this year. Both made significant contributions to the company and their presence will be

sorely missed. Bonita Kopp has also been unwell for much of the year and we have sorely

missed her wisdom and local knowledge.

We have however welcomed David McGregor, Deb Lally and Carol Hedges and they are

adding their skills and experience to the team. We are all looking forward to a very

constructive 2014-2015.

Hal Bisset (CEO)

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Staff

HAL BISSET

Chief of Executive Officer

KAYE WARD

Service Development Manager

SUE MCGREGOR

Project Manager

DAVID MCGREGOR

Asset Manager

KEITH CASTLE

Business Manager

CAROL HEDGES

Community Housing Team Leader

DEB LALLY

Town Camp Team Leader

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Staff

MICHELLE MCMASTER

Tenancy Management Officer

Larapinta Valley, Morris Soak, Abbotts Camp &

Little Sisters

MARK MITCHELL

Tenancy Management Officer

Warlpiri, Palmers, Trucking Yards, Old Timers & Karnte

ASHLEY MILES

Tenancy Management Officer

Hidden Valley, Larapinta Valley, Charles Creek & Hoppy’s

DARYL PRESSWELL

Tenancy Management Officer

Hidden Valley, Anthepe, Ilparpa, Mt Nancy, Basso’s,

Charles Creek & Hoppy’s

Lori Gray

Administration & Help Desk Administrator

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TOWN CAMPS HOUSING

Central Australian Affordable

Housing

Corporate Governance

COMMUNITY HOUSING

Tenancy

Management

Service Development

Manager

Kaye Ward

Tenancy Team Leader

Deb Lally

Community

Engagement

Coordinator

Bonita Kopp

Tenancy Management

Officers

Michelle McMasters

Mark Mitchell

Daryl Presswell

Ashley Miles

Community

Housing

Project Development

Manager

Sue McGregor

Community Housing

Team Leader

Carol Hedges

Corporate

Services

Chief Executive

Officer

Hal Bisset

Business Manager

Keith Castle

Healthy Housing

Asset Manager

David McGregor

Environmental

Health Officer

TBC

Helpdesk

Coordinator

Lori Gray

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Overview

Our first priority is to provide “best practice” housing management to the Town Camps of

Alice Springs. At this point in time each of the Housing Associations has leased their Town

Camp to the Executive Director of Township Leasing (EDTL) – a Commonwealth Statutory

Authority. The EDTL has in turn sub-leased the dwellings on the Town Camps to the NT

Department of Housing (DOH) which is responsible for the implementation of a public

housing management system.

The DOH has subsequently contracted CAAHC to provide a Tenancy Management Service

to the Town Camps and Ingkerreke Commercial to act as a head contractor to undertake

all maintenance approved by DOH. These contracts were for 2 years commencing 3

December, 2012. DOH has also contracted with three non-government agencies to provide

support to tenants under the Tenancy Support Program.

While these arrangements appear transparent on paper CAAHC has consistently advocated

that they constrain the capacity to achieve “best practice” in housing management in the

following ways:

Strict policies and practices designed for mainstream urban public housing

cannot always embrace cultural sensitivity and sometimes fails to recognise

the history of the Town Camps and the full range of goals necessary for the

development of community life in the Town Camps.

A formal contracting regime with multiple players delivering components of

a total service can result in lack of integration and coordination and hence

poor service delivery.

The original contract specifications were particularly vague in relation to

what is called Housing Maintenance Coordination – a role which has not

been adequately resourced.

While we believe these criticisms are valid and have been expressed to all stakeholders this

has not stopped CAAHC working constructively with all players to achieve the best outcome

for residents of the Town Camps as possible. We acknowledge the positive way in which

DOH has sought to engage with us on these issues and find strategies to modify roles within

contractual limits.

Our Service Level Agreement (SLA) with DOH defines our role as Tenancy Management and

encompasses community engagement including responding to at risk tenancies through a

case management approach and tenancy administration including all of the traditional

functions of a tenancy manager.

In addition we have over the last 12 months provided a limited Housing Maintenance

Coordination function though the investment of our own resources in the interests of better

outcomes for tenants.

On top of these housing focused roles we have also been funded by the Department of

Health to provide an Environmental Health role and by the Department of Prime Minister &

Cabinet to assist Tangentyere Council with the upgrade of three community centres on the

town camps.

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Community Engagement

Engaging with Tangentyere Council

Tangentyere Council was responsible for the establishment of CAAHC. As the organisation

set up to represent the 16 Town Camps of Alice Springs it retains a vital interest in the

company and our performance in delivering housing management services to the Town

Camps. During the last 12 months we have spent considerable effort in building strong lines

of communication between the two organisations which respect our independence but

acknowledge our common goals for improving the living conditions on Town Camps.

Highlights for the year include:

Signing a Communications Protocol between the two organisations which

clarifies respective roles and responsibilities and identifies expectations of both

organisations in relation to information sharing and communication channels.

Establishment of a Town Camps Committee of the Board which meets on an ad

hoc basis to brainstorm strategies to resolve problems with housing

management and consider ways to improve the structure and performance of

housing management in the future.

Presentations by the CEO to the Tangentyere Executive on progress in improving

overall housing management on the Town Camps and options for the future.

Regular meetings between the respective community engagement personnel

within each organisation to coordinate community meetings and community

education.

Occasional meetings between the respective CEOs to discuss strategic and

policy issues of common concern.

Engaging with Town Camp communities

CAAHC provides housing management services to 16 of Alice Springs Town Camps. To do so

effectively we need to have a trusted relationship with each of those communities. Our

capacity to achieve this has been enhanced this year following an agreement with the

Department of Housing that CAAHC takes over the coordination and facilitation of the

Housing Reference Groups (HRG).

A Housing Reference Group is elected by each Housing Association to represent them on all

matters related to housing management such as applications, wait lists, allocations, tenant

support needs, tenancy management, housing maintenance, overcrowding, visitor

management, anti-social behaviour, housing transfers and cultural protocol’s such as sorry

business.

Among the reasons we took over this role was the low success rate in achieving a quorum

and the subsequent inability to allocate vacant dwellings to approved applicants under

previous arrangements. Since taking over the in April 2014 we have convened 16 HRG

meetings with 11 proceeding at which a total of 11 vacancies have been allocated. As a

consequence we have seen vacancies drop from a high of 34 to a current 26 with a plan to

reduce this to below 10 over the next few months subject to timely completion of vacancy

maintenance.

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Engaging with Residents at risk

One of the objectives of our community engagement role is to intervene as early as possible

in tenancies which are at risk because the tenant is experiencing a range of pressures which

result in them not being able to meet the obligations of their tenancy. We adopt a case

management approach and have borrowed the following definition:

Case management for ending homelessness is a collaborative community

based intervention that places the person at the centre of a holistic model of

support necessary to secure housing and provide supports to sustain this

housing while building independence.

(Case Management Framework, Specialist Homelessness and Domestic and

Aboriginal Family Violence Services, Housing SA, Department for Communities

and Social Inclusion July 2013)

Through a Case Management Framework we offer a professional service which aims to build

partnerships between the household at risk and a range of service providers each of which is

focused on producing positive, lasting change.

We take a strength based, client focussed approach, engaging with the resident, hearing

and assessing their needs, and facilitating a collaborative case conference, where each

service represented participates with the resident in developing a case plan to move

forward.

The case management approach has enabled us to develop strong working relationships

with the three Tenancy Support Program (TSP) providers contracted by the Department of

Housing to deliver this service in the Town Camps. The sustainability of at risk tenancies has

been greatly increased the more we have been able to integrate the work of Tangentyere,

Anglicare and Mission Australia TSP services.

Our experience over the last 12 months has convinced us of the value of a case

management approach; however, it is not currently funded through our Service Level

Agreement and hence not sustainable unless we can secure a funding source – something

we aim to address over the next 12 months. With appropriate funding we will employ

appropriately qualified staff and train our tenancy team in working within a case

management framework.

Engaging with Agencies that support Residents

A Case Management approach cannot work without the building of collaborative

partnerships. CAAHC is therefore building close working relationships with government and

non-government agencies in the health, aged care, education and community service

sectors. We value the collaborative relationships we enjoy with Tangentyere Council,

Anglicare, Mission Australia and Central Australian Aboriginal Congress.

Acknowledgements

While every member of staff is involved in community engagement we acknowledge the

particular contribution of Bonita Kopp. Bonita has been an integral part of the housing team

on the Town Camps for many years. Unfortunately her health has not allowed her to

contribute as fully this year and she is currently on extended sick leave. We are very grateful

to Kaye Ward who has added the coordination of Housing Reference Groups, the

management and implementation of the Case Management Program and liaising with

Tangentyere Council to her management tasks.

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Tenancy Management

As noted above CAAHC is contracted to deliver a tenancy management service in

accordance with public housing policies and procedures. We endeavour to do so in a

manner which is consistent with our own ethos of a tenant focused service that aims for

“healthy homes for healthy people in healthy communities”. Our preferred approach is

therefore informed by community development principles, so that wherever we identify

problems with the service system we do what we can to rectify and improve that system.

During the last 12 months three major stakeholders in the management of Town Camp

housing, CAAHC, the Department of Housing and the residents of the Town Camps have

identified problems with the current system. As time has gone on we have developed a

deeper and shared understanding of those problems and have committed ourselves to

trying to address those issues.

From our perspective we articulate 4 key objectives in tenancy management:

Minimise the number of vacant houses

Collect all rent that is owing

Make sure dwellings are well maintained and looked after

Encourage respect and cooperation between neighbours

Minimising vacancies

During the course of this year the number of vacant properties was increasing and

becoming unacceptable to all parties especially when there is so much homelessness and

overcrowding within the Town camps. To address this we have, in collaboration with the

Department of Housing and the Housing Reference Groups:

Taken over the responsibility for accepting all applications and maintaining the

waiting list

Undertaken a review of the waiting list to ensure the information on applications is up

to date

Taken on the responsibility for facilitating and resourcing Housing Reference Groups

and negotiating new Terms of Reference with an emphasis on timely allocation of

applicants to vacant properties

Developed protocols for obtaining the approval of the Department of Housing on all

recommended allocations

Committing ourselves to the timely completion of both outgoing and ingoing Property

Condition Reports

Taken a proactive role in coordinating the timing of vacancy maintenance through

enhanced liaison with the Department of Housing

Worked closely with Tangentyere to secure financial assistance for approved tenants

that enable them to provide their bond and rent in advance

All of these initiatives have begun to take effect and the number of vacancies has declined

over the course of 2014.

Collecting rent

No housing system can function if residents do not pay the rent. Arrears across the Town

Camps have averaged about $1,300 per dwelling. In order to address this we have

developed a strategy with the Department of Housing to reverse the trend. This includes:

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Weekly monitoring of rental payments

Negotiating “Agreements to Pay” with tenants in arrears

Timely reminders to tenants of any failure to pay in accordance with their obligations

Increased focus on the renewal of Rebate Applications which expire every 6 months,

to avoid tenants accumulating arrears despite continuing to pay rebated rents after

the expiry of their Rebate

Seeking orders from the Commissioner of Tenancies to reinforce agreements to pay

rent and arrears for tenants who fail to honour voluntary agreements

Working with Tangentyere Council to resolve the distribution of funds from a rental

trust account which could have a major positive impact upon some tenants current

arrears

Over the last 6 months since the commencement of the strategy the total of arrears has

plateaued. Over the next financial year we anticipate that the trend will be reversed and we

will see a gradual decline to a more acceptable level. Of course in pursuing this strategy we

must remain mindful of the many pressures that impact upon the residents of the town

camps and seek to understand the cause of the financial pressures which result in arrears

and act accordingly.

Maintaining houses

The biggest complaint from the residents of the Town Camps is maintenance and we have

sought to improve the maintenance of homes (recognising that we do not have a

responsibility for maintenance) by:

Agreeing to take on a housing maintenance coordination role involving the creation

of a maintenance helpdesk which receives and submits all maintenance requests to

the Department of Housing and endeavours to monitor the completion of that

maintenance so that residents can stay informed (see next section)

Increasing the regularity of periodic Property Inspections with an emphasis on

identifying maintenance issues earlier and submitting maintenance requests so that

works can be completed before it becomes a major problem (many tenants do not

report maintenance issues especially if they are not major)

Using the periodic inspections to identify tenancies which are struggling to look after

their dwellings and would benefit by assistance from a case management approach

and referral to the Tenancy Support Program

Educating tenants on their responsibility to maintain their dwellings and advising them

on the options they have for effecting repairs to damage caused by their own

actions

This area is one of great confusion with many players involved. There is room for considerable

improvement and CAAHC is committed to working with the Department of Housing and all

of the Housing associations to achieve a more streamlined and effective maintenance

system.

Encouraging respect

One of the most difficult aspects on managing tenancies on the Town Camps is dealing with

conflict within a home, between residents of a home and visitors to that home, or between

one home and their neighbours.

Some people refer to this as “anti-social behaviour”. Our experience is that this term fails to

understand the complexity of the issue and the multi-dimensional causes. Solutions will

therefore inevitably be inadequate.

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Few will deny that at the end of the day a person should take responsibility for their own

actions. But the pressures contributing to those actions might be diverse and it is only the

accumulated pressure that might suddenly result in a violent outburst. Those pressures could

originate in the individual such as alcohol abuse. But equally they might emanate from

systemic failures.

For example the Town Council has been very effective over the last two years in

discouraging people camping in public open spaces such as creek beds when they visit

town through by-laws which lead to hefty fines. We have noticed over that time a significant

increase in the number of visitors now staying in Town Camps, resulting in overcrowded

houses or in makeshift camps in public spaces. The systemic problem here is the lack of

culturally appropriate and affordable visitor accommodation within Alice Springs. The

consequence is increased rubbish on Town Camps and damage to dwellings as well as the

results of overcrowding – increased health risk, decreased school attendance, and

increased stress levels, increased propensity for alcohol abuse and violence.

CAAHC sees its response as twofold:

Firstly we are committed to encouraging respect between members of a household,

respect towards residents by visitors to a Town Camp, and respect by residents

towards their neighbours. We will work with residents and all relevant services to

support the right of residents to the quiet enjoyment of their home. We acknowledge

the Community Engagement Police Unit who work tirelessly and cooperatively to

assist residents deal with the problems that have caused “anti-social behaviour”.

Secondly we are obliged to highlight the broader causes of the problems and work

constructively with the rest of the community to address those issues. For example we

are of the firm view that additional visitor accommodation that is appropriate to the

cultural practices of visitors from remote communities is a real need in Alice Springs

and we will work with Council, governments and other community organisations to

achieve new options.

TENANT’S STORY

My name is Jane Young. I originally came from Santa Teresa but have been living at

Hidden Valley for 15 years. I like living in the town camp because I am close to my family.

The things I would like to see happen on the camps is to stop the drinking and to put in

colour bond fencing so the snakes don’t get in our yards.

I get lots of support from CAAHC. They are always available to come and visit me and are

caring to my family. They always offer good advice. I would like to see better

maintenance though.

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Acknowledgements

During this year we have said farewell to two long term members of the tenancy

management team at CAAHC. Deanna Willetts has moved with her family to Mt Isa and

consequently we have lost a remarkable young leader who blended compassion with

professionalism and who was respected by all she worked with. Sharlene Swan decided that

family commitments outweighed work and so after more than 10 years in housing

management on the Town camps she also left us. Sharlene was much loved by residents and

will be missed greatly.

We have welcomed Deb Lally as Tenancy Management Team Leader who along with our

Tenancy Management Officers Michelle McMasters, Daryl Preswell and Mark Mitchell do a

remarkable job under difficult conditions. At the end of the day they are the ones

implementing all of the changes identified above that will ultimately bring about improved

conditions on the Town Camps.

Tangentyere Community Day

1st October 2014

CAAHC art work activity, theme

being “Healthy Homes”

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Housing Maintenance Coordination

Last year we reported the lack of a critical housing maintenance co-ordination role under

the current contractual agreements between CAAHC and DOH, and between Ingkerreke

and DOH resulting in confusion about how to report maintenance, lack of tracking of the

completion of maintenance requested, and any follow up on the effectiveness of

maintenance performed. Following extensive discussions with DOH we agreed to establish a

Maintenance Helpdesk.

For this to work effectively CAAHC has created the position of Asset Manager and employed

an experienced qualified builder. His role has been to:

Design and implement systems for the reporting and tracking of maintenance

requests.

Manage the Helpdesk and support Helpdesk staff.

Provide quality assurance on the reporting of maintenance requests.

Train tenancy management staff in identifying and reporting maintenance issues

during inspections and general home visits.

Liaising with DOH to improve the maintenance reporting systems and tracking the

completion of reported maintenance.

The appointment of our asset manager has enabled CAAHC to develop the capacity to:

Investigate ongoing maintenance problems and present technical reports to DOH.

Respond promptly to maintenance emergencies on Town Camps.

Assess and re-present maintenance issues that have dropped out of the system but

have not been fixed.

Assess potentially dangerous maintenance problems and escalate these to DOH for

appropriate response.

Better assess whether maintenance issues are normal wear and tear or caused by

tenant related damage.

Assist with tenant education.

Ensure vacant town Camp houses meet appropriate standards prior to occupation

by new tenants.

During the last 12 months CAAHC processed a total of 2,645 individual maintenance requests

on the Town Camps – an average of approximately 10 per dwelling.

Because the Asset Manager is responsible for the management of the Environmental Health

program we have also been able to focus on significant infrastructure maintenance issues

which have posed a threat to the health and safety of Town Camp residents. For example:

Ongoing blockages with the sewer system at Old Timers were the subject of an

investigation by the Asset Manager. A technical report was written report and

submitted to the Department of Housing and the Department of Community Services

resulting in the sewer pump being replaced and the problem solved.

Following an inspection alerting the Department of Community Services that the

Trucking Yards Town Camp shade structure in park / play area was about to collapse.

The Department immediately demolished the unsafe structure.

We believe our initiative in investing in the Housing Maintenance Coordination role has paid

dividends in terms of improvement in the maintenance reporting and tracking and hence

service to residents. However we are unable to continue to perform the role unless it is

appropriately resourced. We are strongly advocating that the role be fully recognised in the

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Town Camp housing management model, adequately resourced and integrated with the

tenancy management role.

Acknowledgements

David McGregor has taken up the role of Asset manager and we are fortunate to have

someone with his skills (architect and qualified builder) and experience (providing asset

management services to the Department of Housing in Western NSW including dwellings

administered by the Aboriginal Housing Office). He is ably supported by Ashley Miles and Lori

Gray who have filled the role of Helpdesk Administrator. These two young women are often

the first line of call for residents and have to deal with a complex array of issues.

TENANT’S STORY

My name is Jeanie Ross. I am originally from Mt Liebig and moved to Alice Springs 11 years

ago. I lived at Old Timers Camp & Little Sisters before moving to Abbots camp.

I think that having dirty house makes old people and children sick and having clean house

is healthy. I will be keeping my house nice and clean from now on as it took a lot of work to

get clean and pass inspection.

I think CAAHC is good to me and respectful of me and I like working along with them.

(Jeanie was having great difficulty looking after her home until CAAHC coordinated a

number of services to assist with managing her home. Recently she was awarded our

Resident of the Month Award because of the great effort she had put into looking after her

home.)

22 | P a g e

Environmental Health

Healthy homes in healthy communities is part of the CAAHC vision and the delivery of our

Environmental Health Program on the Town Camps is an integral part of our overall service

delivery.

Funded by the Department of Health we employ a part time Indigenous Environmental

Health Worker (EHW). The success of the role however is very dependent on positive

relationships and we acknowledge:

The Environmental Health Unit within the Department of Health for providing support

and training.

The Department of Communities which is responsible for all public open space in the

Town Camps.

The Department of Housing who are ultimately responsible for all health hardware

within dwellings on the Town Camps.

The Alice Springs Town Council particularly in relation to the control of dogs in the

camps.

Tangentyere Council and Ingkerreke Commercial who provide municipal services.

Outback Recovery who assist with the removal of car bodies.

CAAHC has been able to maximise the value from limited resources by connecting the

program to our tenancy management team who by virtue of greater awareness of

environmental health issues are able to make referrals to the EHW.

Health Promotion and Education

An important focus of our environmental health program is health promotion and education

in relation to pest control, scabies prevention, managing extreme weather conditions,

healthy care of dogs, and efficient water and utility usage. Informal teaching with

households and smaller groups in response to a presenting issue has been found to be more

effective than formal workshops. Seventy-six people participated in such training

opportunities between June and December, 2013.

CAAHC also supported the Department of Health and Imparja Network in the production of

the advertising campaign called No Germs on Me. The ads were filmed in a town camp with

local resident actors whose participation was facilitated by our staff.

Responding to Disease Risks

Outbreaks of scabies and swarms of cockroaches have again been a threat this year. By

working in an educative role with both our own tenancy managers and with residents our

EHW has fulfilled an important role in curbing potential disease outbreaks.

Environmental Health Assessment Tools

During the last year we have developed two Environmental Assessment Tools that are now

available to be administered within homes and in town camp communities.

The first tool is used to undertake a 6 monthly audit of all town camp common areas

with results (and potential solutions) submitted to the Department of Communities for

follow up. The audit would identify such issues as water wastage and mosquito

infestations caused by blocked drains and plumbing problems, unsafe trees, unsafe

damaged playgrounds, excess rubbish, and septic tank problems.

The second tool is used in individual houses upon request by residents or referral by

tenancy managers. This role focuses on safety & security issues and health risks

23 | P a g e

attributable to the breakdown of hardware in the house. These audits generally result

in a health related maintenance request being submitted to the Department of

Housing or in serious cases an official complaint might be registered with the

Department of Health.

Maintaining Houses for Better Health

Our company has a longstanding relationship with Healthabitat and the survey and fix

methodology employed in the Maintaining Houses for Better Health program. During the year

staff and Directors participated in a training workshop on the methodology. Following this

workshop two dwellings at the St Mary’s site were surveyed and fixed further cementing the

approach within our corporate culture.

While CAAHC is not in a position to implement this approach on the Town Camps we remain

vigilant to health related risks whenever we enter a Town Camp dwellings and use our role as

housing maintenance coordinator to report health related maintenance issues as a high

priority. The methodology was also central to our proposal to develop a new housing

management model for the Amoonguna community.

Car Body Removal Program

A considerable challenge in town camp communal areas and in some properties are

disused car bodies posing a safety hazard and health risk, especially for children. We have

worked closely with residents and Outback Recovery to facilitate their removal. During the

year over 100 car bodies have been removed from the Town Camps.

Future directions

This year our environmental health program has again assisted many residents tackle health

risks in their homes as well as monitor health risks throughout the communal areas of town

camps. We are delighted that the Department of Health has affirmed the benefits of this

program by increasing funding levels to elevate the position to fulltime and enable us to

focus more on education.

Acknowledgements

The role of EHW was ably filled by Steven Lake for 18 months. Steve recently left to follow his

dream of a more hands on maintenance role. His passion for better conditions and strong

work ethic will be greatly missed. We are thankful to David McGregor, our Asset Manager,

who is maintaining the role in a temporary capacity while we recruit a new EHW.

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Community Centre Upgrades

In April 2014 Tangentyere Council was advised by the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet

that $750,000 had been set aside from the Aboriginals Benefit Account (ABA) to upgrade three

Town Camp community centres, located at Karnte (KCC), Trucking Yards (TYCC) & Larapinta

Valley (LVLC). An added benefit of the project was the commitment to use the construction

process as an opportunity for 12 Aboriginal people living in the Town Camp communities to gain

Certificate 2 in Construction.

Tangentyere Council subsequently requested CAAHC auspice the grant and project

manage the three community centre upgrades. The project is a great example of

collaborative action between CAAHC and Tangentyere allowing each organisation to bring

their strengths to the project:

CAAHC will provide its governance and project management framework to establish

a transparent process for the participation of three Tangentyere Council business

divisions.

Tangentyere Design will engage with each of the Town Camp communities to design

and document the Community Centre Upgrades.

Tangentyere Employment Services will design and deliver the training to meet the 12

Town Camp trainee’s needs.

Tangentyere Constructions will construct the upgrades and provide the work

experience component of the training.

In the closing months of 2014 the upgrade designs and construction documentation will be

finalised, and the training will commence, in preparation for construction to start in February

2015. It is anticipated that Construction will be complete by 30 June 2015.

Acknowledgements

Sue McGregor, our Project Development Manager, is responsible for the delivery of this

project. However it is the brainchild of Tangentyere Council working closely with the three

Housing Associations from the respective Town Camps. Getting to this point owes much to

Andrew Broffmann of Tangentyere Design with the support of Niels Pederson from

Tangentyere Construction.

25 | P a g e

Overview

The second priority within our Strategic Plan is to expand the supply of affordable housing in

Alice Springs. We are implementing this goal through a series of stages each of which is

building on our capacity as a community housing organisation as well as increasing the

supply of affordable housing.

Stage 1 involved taking on a lease of the St Mary’s property from the Anglican

Diocese of the NT and managing the buildings on site as a mix of affordable housing

and social enterprises. CAAHC took over the site in late 2012 and it is now fully

operational.

Stage 2 has been branded our Indigenous Affordable Housing Project and has

involved the purchase of a site in Bloomfield Street, Gillen and the construction of 11

units on part of the site plus the lease of 10 units in Elliot Street, Braitling from the

Department of Housing.

Stage 3 will involve the development of the balance of the land in Bloomfield Street

and a medium density site we purchased in the New Kilgariff sub-division. CAAHC

owns the two sites in question and plans to raise the funds for development in 2014-

2015 with construction commencing as soon as funds are secured.

Stage 4 will involve working in partnerships with a range of organisations including

Alice Springs based community service organisations, the Department of Housing,

Town Camp Housing Associations and possibly Aboriginal Corporations representing

remote communities. In this stage we aim to utilise land and / or cash invested by the

partner to leverage funding from other sources to construct new housing for people

nominated by the partner organisations.

As we implement our strategy we aim to do so in a manner which is true to our vision: Healthy

Homes for Healthy People in Healthy Communities. This has led us to adopt a number of

social design principles which guide our selection of projects:

Selecting sites which are close to amenities, services and public transport routes.

Planning communities which are of a human scale and integrated within the broader

urban community.

Providing a variety of housing types to match the diversity of housing needs.

Offering different tenure options that respond to the different aspirations of

households.

Minimising maintenance costs through careful choice of robust fixtures and finishes

Maximising affordability by minimising energy costs for residents.

Incorporating safety and security features which enhance resident sense of well

being.

Partnering with agencies that will support residents to live independently and sustain

their tenancy.

Ensuring residents can age in place by employing the Liveable Housing Design

Guidelines.

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Stage One: St Mary's

Taking on the management of the St Mary’s site just south of the Gap was CAAHC’s first

venture into community housing within Alice Springs. This project has provided us with an

opportunity to show case the community housing management model and demonstrate its

benefits. It has also allowed us to establish key aspects of our community housing

management systems.

Highlights of the year have included:

Continued provision of 12 affordable housing dwellings at 75% of market rent to low

income workers and households reliant on statutory payments. Our tenants are

predominantly indigenous families.

Negotiating three commercial leases over the three non-residential buildings on site.

We now have three social enterprises running programs from St Mary’s. They are Civil

Train, Red Dust Role Models and Tangentyere Employment Services. These

organisations are instigating exciting community development & job training projects

benefitting both Aboriginal people and the broader community.

Negotiating a lease on one of the larger dwellings with Life Without Barriers which will

enable several people with disabilities to live in a residential community setting.

The continued positive working relationship with the Anglican Diocese of NT which is

the owner of the site – we have renegotiated the lease which has allowed us to

exercise our option for an additional 2 years (to June 2017) thus providing greater

certainty to tenants.

The employment of Carol Hedges as our Community Housing Team Leader with a

brief to set up all property management systems and to grow the portfolio. Carol is a

qualified Real Estate Agent and came to us from one of the Alice Springs Real Estate

Agencies.

There have also been challenges with the site in 2013-2014:

The age of the dwellings means maintenance has been much higher than normal

however we have been able to address this in a timely way with the cooperation of

the Diocese.

The high cost of utilities and the lack of separate metering for some services have

created many challenges this year. Though a combination of installing separate

meters, introduction of regular monthly invoicing of tenants, providing utility subsidies

to tenants and education on power and water saving strategies we believe we are

gradually getting on top of this issue.

Despite rental and utilities subsidies some tenants nevertheless find it difficult to

manage their financial circumstances leading to arrears. We have had to resort to

going to the Commissioner of Tenancies in relation to one tenancy this year. The

good news is that this has confirmed respective responsibilities and has not resulted in

an eviction.

With St Mary’s now fully occupied and a new lease in place for 3 years we look forward to

continued partnership with the Anglican Diocese of NT. CAAHC values the positive

relationship with Leeanne Zamagias (Diocesan Registrar) and Rev. Brian Jeffries (Parish Vicar)

who have formed a local St Mary’s Building Committee charged with the responsibility to

develop a plan for the future. We look forward to assisting them explore the opportunities for

future use and / or development of the site.

27 | P a g e

TENANT’S STORY

My name is Robyn Nardoo and I have been living in Alice Springs for over 20 years. Due to

the transient real estate market in Alice Springs I have found that renting through private

agents has led me to need to move around every two years which was very unsettling.

At the end of 2012 my 9 year old daughter became sick and we ended up camping out at

the hospital in Adelaide for 6 months. When I returned to Alice Springs I was homeless and

jobless, having to stay with varying family and friends. This was not a comfortable situation

so I set about changing it. I was very lucky to secure a great job with Mission Australia and

now having an income I could move into a motel style room with my daughter. Not great

but better certainly an improvement.

While working with Mission Australia I was contacted by CAAHC to see if we had any people

on our books that may be suitable for accommodation at St Marys’. I asked if there was any

chance that I could apply as it was very cramped living in one room with a growing girl.

I was successful in my application and have been living here for around 6 months. It is really

good for my daughter to have her own room. I love the space and the outlook, especially

having a yard and being able to have a fire.

It has taken a full year from being homeless to having a great job and good

accommodation but the experience has enabled me to better help our clients and

understand their situations.

Our relatives love bringing other kids to visit on the weekend as it is such a safe place for the

kids to ride their bikes and play.

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Stage Two: Indigenous Affordable Housing Program

In the second implementation stage of our community housing model CAAHC has initiated

what we have coined the Indigenous Affordable Housing Program. Under this program we

will deliver 21 units of social and affordable housing through two projects and establish a

land bank for two future projects. This phase has been financed through:

CAAHC equity

Grant funding through the Aboriginal Benefits Account

Debt finance

The debt finance will in part be supported by National Rental Incentives funded by both the

Commonwealth and Territory governments under the National Rental Affordability Scheme.

6 Bloomfield Street, Gillen

After 12 months of market research, feasibility studies and contract negotiation CAAHC

purchased the 4,600sqm site at 6 Bloomfield Street, Gillen – very close to the heart of the city

centre. Following planning approval we subsequently contracted Morelli Plumbing & Building

Contractors, a local Construction company, to construct 11 one and two bedroom dwellings

on the site.

The dwellings will be rented to low income workers and rents will be set at 75% of the market

rent. The dwellings have been designed to minimise utility costs to enhance affordability.

They are also built to the adaptable design standards meaning all dwellings are accessible

and 6 dwellings have been built to accommodate people with a disability.

Elliot Street, Braitling

CAAHC successfully submitted an Expression of Interest in taking on the management of 10

two bedroom units in Elliot Street, Braitling earlier in the year. These units will target very low

income households with rents set ensure tenants do not exceed committing more than 30%

of their income on rent.

This project will target singles and couples who are 50 years plus and CAAHC will work with

aged care providers to ensure that residents have the supports they need to successfully

sustain a tenancy in an independent environment.

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CAAHC anticipates negotiations with the Department of Housing which involves a 10 year

lease with an option to purchase at any stage will be complete in October 2014 with tenants

occupying the dwellings soon after. We are already taking applications for the dwellings.

Subject to negotiation of a satisfactory price CAAHC anticipates purchasing the dwellings

utilising debt finance serviced by the net rental income from both Bloomfield Street and Elliot

Street plus the income stream from the National Rental Incentives attached to Bloomfield

Street.

TENANT’S STORY

My name is Cheryl Lewin and my partner is Stephen. Living in Alice Springs happened by

accident. I came to visit my daughter and my partner was working in Adelaide. Then

Stephen’s job fell through and so he flew up to join me. Neither of us were working but

luckily Stephen got a job within a week with Radio Rentals. I continued with my study, a

Diploma in Case Management, and we moved in with my daughter. This was very

overcrowded so we moved to a motel style room in Stevens Road which was the cheapest

place we could find and all we could do on the income we had.

After about 6 months my daughter showed me an article on St Marys but I was very

sceptical that we would fit into their criteria and she had to really talk me into applying. I am

so glad that she did as we rented a 1 bedroom unit that was much more spacious than

Stevens Road. St Marys has such a great feel around it, I can feel the church presence

which is great. Funnily while I was still in NSW I dreamed about living in a “bush chapel” and

now here I am. This is just the kind of place I dreamt of, with fantastic views and space

around. I love walking and feel very safe here. We have great neighbours and the whole

area is full of nature and fantastic for meditating and feeling at peace.

CAAHC has been fantastic; always fixing things and making our accommodation feel easy.

They let us put up our own curtains, which really gave me a sense of ownership and was

such fun going out to chose them. I think the best part about being able to get a place with

affordable rent is that it has enabled us to help out the kids and grandkids and to save for a

holiday in England to visit family which I am very excited about.

30 | P a g e

Stage 3: Indigenous Affordable Housing Program Mark II

Having developed the funding and procurement methodology we are very keen to extend

the program into a second phase. In this phase the dwellings will be financed by:

CAAHC equity in the form of the land already owned (the remainder of the

Bloomfield Street site and a medium density site in the new Kilgariff subdivision)

Social investment in the form 10 year interest free loans from community service

agencies

Land transferred from the Department of Housing (subject to CAAHC meeting the

requirements of the National Regulatory System for Community Housing)

Debt finance

New grant funding from government sources (potentially the Aboriginal Benefits

Account)

The volume of debt funding, and hence the amount of grant funding required, will be

determined by the net rental income from all developments plus revenue from any

additional National Rental Incentives we are able to secure.

Kilgariff Medium Density Site

CAAHC purchased a medium density lot in the new Kilgariff subdivision in April 2014. This

1,356 sqm site is capable of yielding 4 three bedroom dwellings located near the proposed

Kilgariff neighbourhood centre and community facilities.

This site will be developed in 2015 subject to securing the required finance. The development

will provide an opportunity for young Aboriginal families to purchase their first home through

a “rent-to-buy” model.

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5 Bloomfield Street, Gillen

Subject to securing the finance required CAAHC will also develop the balance of the site

acquired in Bloomfield Street, Gillen in 2015. We have already commissioned concept

designs which indicate a yield of 5 two bedroom dwellings however it is also possible to

achieve 7 one bedroom dwellings.

Our aim is to develop this site in partnership with a community service organisation that has

the capacity to provide a 10 year interest free loan to CAAHC of $50-100K per dwelling in

return for the right to nominate the tenants of that dwelling for the duration of the loan. The

balance of the finance for the development will be contributed by CAAHC from a

combination of debt finance and government grants.

Public Housing Sites

In the second phase of our Indigenous Affordable Housing Program CAAHC also hopes to

partner with the Department of Housing. The Department has a significant number of public

housing dwellings which are unoccupied because they are unfit for habitation and the funds

for their refurbishment or redevelopment are not available.

CAAHC has developed a model which involves the transfer of a small number of these sites

to CAAHC and the subsequent redevelopment of the site to yield 3-4 one and two bedroom

units each. Funding for development would be provided by CAAHC and derived from debt

finance and government grants (e.g. Aboriginal Benefits Account). If CAAHC can secure

some National Rental Incentives then the amount of debt will increase and grant funding

decrease.

While CAAHC has had fruitful discussions with the Department it is unlikely that this strategy

will be unfolded before the government releases its Community Housing Plan as part of its

overall Territory Housing Strategy.

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Stage 4: Future Innovations

Development in Aboriginal communities

As we refine the community housing model CAAHC anticipates it might be extended to

encompass other opportunities such as the Town Camps of Alice Springs or Remote

Communities. The elements remain the same as in the partnership model detailed above:

Land provided by Traditional Owners or Housing Associations under a lease with

sufficient duration to amortise any debt finance raised to finance the project.

Debt finance raised by CAAHC and secured by other assets with the amount of debt

determined by the net rental income stream plus any National Rental Incentives that

can be secured.

Grant funding from a relevant government source such as the Aboriginal Benefits

Account.

CAAHC looks forward to exploring this option with any Aboriginal Corporation interested in

developing new housing on their land.

Advocacy & Sector Development

CAAHC is a special purpose community housing organisation and considers itself to be a

part of the emerging community housing sector in Australia. We retain membership of

PowerHousing Australia, a peak body of larger scale community housing organisations

committed to growth.

We are also active members of NT Shelter which is the peak NT non-government housing and

homelessness advocacy body in the Northern Territory. Our CEO is a member of the Board

and has supported the establishment of an NT Community Housing Coalition under the

auspices of NT Shelter. The CEO has taken on the role of Chair of the new coalition and its first

initiative was to prepare a submission to the Department of Housing in relation to the Territory

Housing Strategy currently being drafted.

CAAHC has also worked very closely with the Central Australian Policy Officer for NT Shelter

David Havercroft. In particular Sue McGregor, our Project Development Manager, has

contributed significantly to the Alice Springs Accommodation Action Group to map current

housing services, identify housing needs and document appropriate housing responses. The

AAG brings together representatives of both government and non-government agencies.

The AAG has provided a vehicle for CAAHC to consult with the sector on housing needs that

we could be responding to identifying potential partners for future community housing

projects.

Acknowledgments CAAHC has built a strong Community Housing Team. Sue McGregor, as Project Development

Manager, takes a lead in bringing projects to fruition by using her consultation, facilitiation

and negotiation skills as well as applying her architecture and project management

experience. She is ably supported by Carol Hedges (Community Housing Manager) who is

responsible for the managemnt of all projects once completed and David McGregor (Asset

Manager) who is responsiible for the overall maintenance of the assets. This team is more

than capable of growing the community housing portfolio over the next years.

33 | P a g e

Developing an Alternative Model for the Bush

The Central Land Council (CLC) is a Member of CAAHC. It has requested we work closely

with the CLC and Traditional Owners to explore alternative housing management models for

remote communities. This has engaged us in:

Participating in Remote Housing Workshops conducted by CLC and involving the

Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Advisory Service (CAALAS) to explore problems

with current housing management arrangements in the bush and consider

alternative models that might address these problems.

In partnership with the CLC bringing problems in the management of remote housing

to the attention of both the Commonwealth and Territory governments and outlining

how a community housing model might address those problems.

Adapting the community housing management model to the context of remote

housing and documenting how the model might be implemented.

Recently we have become involved in a collaborative project with the Aboriginal Peak

Organisations of the Northern Territory (APONT) which includes:

Aboriginal Medical Services Agency of the Northern Territory

Central Land Council

Northern Land Council

North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency

Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service

NT Shelter is also part of the collaboration and it will culminate in a Territory wide Remote

Housing Forum in early 2015 at which it is anticipated that remote communities will have the

opportunity to air their concerns and aspirations about the management of housing in their

communities. It is also hoped that this event might precipitate support for new community

housing model for the bush.

Working with Remote Communities

In addition to this research and development work the Board has fully supported CAAHC

becoming involved in the management of housing in remote communities.

Early in 2014 we submitted a tender to provide both Tenancy Management and

Housing Maintenance Coordination services to one of the clusters of remote

communities (Santa Teresa, Tjitjitkala and Finke). One of the conditions we attached

to our proposal was that we would not provide one of the services without also

providing the other based on our experience that splitting the services leads to a less

than optimum service. Unfortunately we were unsuccessful in our bid, however it

assisted us develop our thinking.

Towards the end of the financial year we were approached by Imwernkwernhe

Community Limited (ICL) from the Amoonguna community not far from Alice Springs.

This community has not signed a lease to the Executive Director of Township Leasing

34 | P a g e

and has therefore not been provided with a housing management service under any

sub-lease arrangement between EDTL and the Northern Territory Government.

CAAHC has agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding with the community

drafted by the CLC which would enable us to enter the community and gather the

information required over 6 months to develop a Business Plan to implement a

community housing management model over a 5-10 year period. At this stage the

company is waiting for the community to decide whether it wishes to proceed with

the 6 month business planning stage.

Working on the Amoonguna proposal has provided CAAHC with the opportunity to think

through how it might approach the implementation of a community housing model in a

remote community. The development of a Business Case is the first step – one which is

necessary to determine the financial viability and sustainability of the model. We believe this

is a step which would take 6-12 months and cost about $10,000 per dwelling in the

community. It would include:

Engaging with the community to involve them in the development of a community

housing model in their community. This step is critical to ensure the community gets

something out of the planning stage and builds their confidence in the capacity of

our company to deliver good services.

Engaging Healthabitat to undertake a survey and fix of all dwellings in the community

to address all health and safety issues (Healthabitat is an internationally recognised

company with the skills and capacity to organise this intensive maintenance program

for a whole community).

Undertaking a more comprehensive property inspection to forecast all maintenance

over a defined period – say ten years – so that future maintenance programs can be

costed.

Interviewing all households to establish the composition and fluidity of households

and identify housing needs and potential rental income streams.

Consulting with all providers of essential services, municipal services, emergency

services, health and community services and mapping the roles and responsibilities of

the respective providers.

Developing a cash flow forecast based on a community housing model to identify

the financial viability of the management model and identify any shortfall in revenues

to provide an appropriate service level including responsive and planned

maintenance.

Consulting with relevant government departments in relationship to the legal and

financial framework necessary to ensure the viability of the proposed model for the

agreed duration of the management agreement.

CAAHC is excited about the opportunity for working with a remote community in the near

future to trial this approach to the development of an alternative housing management

model.

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2014 2013

Key Revenue Sources

Tenancy and Property management Contracts 2,255,870 1,594,003

Rental Income 226,923 85,243

Capital Income

Community Housing Project Dept of Housing - 175,594

Aboriginal Benefits Account 1,300,000 399,685

Major Operating Expenses

Employee Costs 721,073 707,256

Maintenance 41,488 440,728

Total Expenses

Total Operating Expenses 1,351,578 1,564,070

Surplus /(Deficit)

Surplus from Ordinary Activities 1,167,184 122,446

Unexpended Grants as at end of year

Community Housing project 12,174 131,076

Aboriginal Benefits Account 230,177 349,269

AMSANT 44,000 -

Financial Position

Assets

Total Current assets 1,023,102 1,390,107

Total Non Current Assets 1,318,879 8,716

Total Assets 2,341,981 1,398,823

Liabil it ies

Total current liabilities 512,642 720,862

Total non-current liabilities - 15,806

Total liabilities 512,642 736,668

Net Assets 1,829,339 662,155

36 | P a g e

CENTRAL AUSTRLAIAN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPANY LTD

a member of...

accredited by...

Contractors Accreditation Limited

Our thanks to Ashley Miles for layout

and design and to Asprint for the

printing of this report