About Us

Supporting the community housing sector to grow and thrive

Connecting members, supporting renter services and advocating for lasting change

As the peak body for Victoria's community housing sector, CHIA Vic advocates for and supports its members so they can grow and thrive, providing more homes for people in need. Our mission is to help build a better housing system for all Victorians, one where everyone has the dignity of an appropriate, secure and affordable home.

We do this by:

  • Advocating to state and local government on the need for more community housing
  • Developing policies to help create a fairer housing system in Victoria
  • Supporting our members with specialist training, leading practice advice and resources

Learn more:‍

1,351

New homes

Delivered by our members last year

1.2 mil

People engaged

With our digital campaigns

695

People trained

to provide best practice services

Our Members & Supporters

The organisations and individuals supporting our mission

CHIA Vic's membership comprises a diverse range of organisations, from small rooming house operators to large multi-state housing providers.

Explore our members & supporters

Our Team

CHIA Vic is made up of a dedicated team who is committed to supporting the growth of not-for-profit community housing in Victoria.

Sarah Toohey

Chief Executive Officer
Sarah has almost 20 years experience in the housing and homelessness sectors, with roles across strategy, policy and advocacy in housing organisations, peak bodies and State Government. She is passionate about social justice and strengthening Victoria's community housing sector to deliver safe, secure and affordable homes for all Victorians.

Jason Perdriau

Deputy CEO
Jason has fifteen years' experience in the social housing sector which has included managing community and public housing programs and leading projects to support the growth and improvement of the social housing sector. Before working in social housing, Jason practised as a solicitor in the private and community sectors, and he has an MBA, Bachelor of Laws and Diploma of Social Housing. When he's not working, he enjoys cooking, mountain biking, walking his dog and being in nature.

Lauren Thomson

Director, Workforce Learning
Lauren is a learning and development professional with over 20 years' experience designing professional development programs across a range of sectors, including public and community housing. She builds capability by focusing not just on training, but on the systems, resources and environments that support long-term growth. Before joining CHIA Vic, she worked on an AI capability project with Infoxchange to support not-for-profits exploring emerging technologies.

Emma Miller

Communications Manager
Emma has more than 20 years' experience in communications, including at the University of Melbourne, Tourism Victoria, RMIT, as well as not-for-profit family violence organisation Women's Legal Service Victoria. Her earlier journalistic career saw her work at the Herald Sun, The Age, Channel Nine and Leader Newspapers. At CHIA Vic, Emma provides strategic communications support for our team across the policy, advocacy, media and engagement spaces, works directly with our members, and tackles less exciting projects like the annual report.

Stephanie Ng

Policy Officer
Stephanie works with our members, local councils and developers to uncover partnership opportunities to deliver more affordable housing, and build an understanding of the community housing sector. Stephanie has worked in the not-for-profit sector on projects in Tonga, Solomon Islands and Australia. Prior to this, she worked as an engineer in the private sector for six years.

Charlotte Timmermans

Project Coordinator, Leading Practice
Charlotte has 15 years' experience across private and community housing. She is passionate about social justice and working to provide access to safe and affordable housing for all. Her experience includes front-line tenancy management and leading a team to deliver supportive housing programs. At CHIA Vic, Charlotte provides practice guidance, coordinates peer learning, and creates practical resources to support continual service improvement. Outside of work, Charlotte loves going on adventures with her family and cooking up a feast in the kitchen.

Alex Trudzik

Policy Manager
Alex works on policy development that promotes the growth and strengthening of the community housing sector. His role involves working closely with members, government, and other stakeholders to develop and then advocate for the positions that are important to the sector. Alex comes to CHIA Vic having worked as a policy adviser to the Minister for Housing. Outside of work Alex is a keen home cook and invariably has sport of some form going on the TV.

Meaghan O’Donnell

Workforce and Learning Officer
Meaghan has 20 years' experience in leading education initiatives, driving continuous improvement from initial planning to post-implementation evaluation across government and higher education including a $6.5 million TAFE Teacher Incentive Program. Specialist in adult education including face to face and online deliveries, Meaghan is qualified with a Graduate Certificate in Learning and Development (Higher Education), Diplomas in Project Management, Business and Vocational Education.

Eggie Jadamba

Project Officer
Eggie brings strong administrative skills and a willingness to tackle just about anything to provide support to the team at CHIA Vic. Previously, Eggie worked as a Business Support Officer at Red Cross Australia, providing financial and housing services to people seeking asylum. When she is not working, Eggie's weekends are filled with kids' birthday parties and travelling.

Bernie Fernando

Bookkeeper
Bernie has over 20 years' experience in the finance industry. Having worked in several large corporations in senior accounting roles, she has recently decided to venture out on her own, and is a sub-contractor at CHIA Vic. In her spare time Bernie likes to travel, cook, tend to her roses and knit.

Our Board

CHIA Vic's board is made up of leaders in the community housing sector, who are elected by CHIA Vic members for a three year term. There are two board-nominated members who bring additional expertise to CHIA Vic's governance team.

Trudi Ray

Chair
Haven: Home, Safe's CEO, Trudi Ray is responsible for growing and managing her organisation's services and portfolio across the northern and south eastern suburbs of Melbourne and expanding HHS's footprint in the Barwon South West Region.

Liz Thomas

Deputy Chair
Liz Thomas is the Managing Director of Common Equity Housing Ltd and has been involved in the community housing sector since 2008. Liz brings extensive practical Director experience and a sound working knowledge of corporate governance, gained in more than 20 years as a Company Director.

Danni Nash

Secretary
Danni has over 15 years' experience across not-for-profit, government and private sectors, specialising in social housing and meaningful community engagement. Her work spans the full asset lifecycle, including development, asset management and program delivery of social housing, public infrastructure and community facilities. She also brings practical experience from large building sites, architectural design and placemaking initiatives. Danni holds postgraduate qualifications in housing management, social sciences, environment and planning, a Bachelor of Architecture (Hons).

Andrew Chittenden

Treasurer
Andrew brings extensive financial management experience, notably as CFO at BeyondHousing. With a background in nonprofit governance and construction, he's committed to advancing affordable housing initiatives and improving outcomes for regional Victorians.

Roberta Buchanan

Board Member
Roberta is the Chief Executive Officer at Women's Property Initiatives. Roberta has over 18 years' experience in senior roles in the community service sector in the UK and Australia.

Chris Karagianis

Board Member
Chris is the CEO of Salvation Army Housing and has a proven track record in the public and private sectors, including a listed Australian property group and the not-for-profit sector. Chris has also been an executive team member for one of Australia's largest aged care providers, Benetas.

Mary Khouri

Board Member
Mary is Executive Business Manager at Murray Valley Aboriginal Cooperative (MVAC), where she oversees infrastructure, housing and homelessness, and submission writing. She brings experience across insurance, workforce programs and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, including earlier work managing Job Network contracts at Sunraysia Institute of TAFE.

Frances Paterson-Fleider

Board Member
Frances is CHL's Victoria State Manager, and brings a depth of experience as a senior executive in the community housing industry. For more than 30 years, she has worked across housing and homelessness services in the UK and Australia. Prior to CHL Frances was the CEO of Community Housing Central Australia (CHCA), a Tier 2 Aboriginal Controlled CHP. She holds a Master of Science Degree in Property Development, a Post Graduate Diploma in Housing and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

Stephen Schmidtke

Board Member
Stephen is General Manager – Homelessness and Client Support at Wintringham, overseeing Wintringham Housing. With over 30 years' experience in homelessness, social housing, and aged care, he has held senior executive roles across the sector. Stephen has led major sector initiatives, including Victoria's first Social Impact Investment project, and is dedicated to client-centred, housing-first approaches that deliver sustainable ageing-in-place housing solutions for vulnerable older people.

Darren Smith

Board Member
Darren is the CEO of Aboriginal Housing Victoria and a proud Palawa Trowerna man from the Pyemairrenner mob in Tasmania, which includes Trawlwoolway and Plairmairrenner and related clans. Darren has diverse academic qualifications, including an Executive Masters of Public Administration, Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Engineering (Civil).
Get in touch

Contact us

For general enquiries, please email us at admin@chiavic.com.au or call on (03) 9654 6077.

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