Community Housing Governance Group
The Department of Communities and Community Housing sector have recently established an Engagement Governance Committee to better manage their engagement.
Community Housing Engagement Governance Committee
Communique August 2019
- The Department of Communities and Community Housing sector have recently established an Engagement Governance Committee to better manage their engagement.
- Members of the Engagement Governance Committee met for the first time on 16 May 2019 and confirmed the Committee’s role and working arrangements.
- The Committee is now calling for proposals for engagement projects to be considered.
In early 2018, key representatives of the community housing sector and the Department of Communities (Communities) agreed to invest time and effort to improve the level and style of engagement between the community housing sector and Communities.
An “architecture workshop” was held with a sample of Community Housing Providers (Providers), Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) WA, Shelter WA and Communities staff on the 27 June 2018 to design the nature of engagement for a better collaborative working relationship between Communities and Providers.
Key outcomes of the meeting included development of a shared purpose, shared values, identification of potential topics for discussion and suggested logistics of our relationship including the need for an Engagement Plan. These ideas were discussed at a further workshop of similar participants on 15 August 2018. At this workshop, three topics were used to reveal and test the potential elements of improved engagement.
The Community Housing Engagement Plan is informed by outcomes of the architecture workshops and subsequent collaboration between CHIA WA, Shelter WA and Communities.
It aims to ensure robust and transparent communications between Communities, Providers, Local Governments, related peak bodies and tenants in Western Australia, on issues relevant to the provision of social and affordable housing and associated services.
It outlines the principles of engagement, communication methods and responsibilities to enable successful engagement.
Matters relating to community housing are managed through various means, including policy, contracts, regulation and commercial partnerships, and involve many different stakeholders. To facilitate engagement on matters relating to community housing, an Engagement Governance Committee of stakeholders has been established by a call for expressions of interest throughout the sector.
(see table in the August Communique document below for initial members).
The next meeting is in November.
With the Committee now having met and agreed on its operation, we can now call for proposals for engagement projects.
The attached project template aims to guide proponents on the information the Committee would like to receive to make judgement on the prospect and engagement for the proposed project.
Proponents can submit project proposals at any time and will be considered in the lead up and at the next Governance Committee meeting.
Project Proposal template
