Public housing and community housing are both forms of affordable rental housing – together they are often referred to as ‘social housing’.

• The decision as to which organisation to partner with is up to the individual developers.
• Developers are encouraged to contact a number of Community Housing Organisations to determine organisation interest in your product offering and partnership proposal. For large developments a developer may want to undertake a more formal process to select a preferred community housing partner.
• Some Community Housing Organisations have specialised skills and focus that could particularly aligns with your objectives or location. You can find contact details for Community Housing organisations on this page.

• Affordable housing that is proposed to be delivered under the City of Melbourne’s C270 agreements must be gifted to a Registered Housing Association (Community Housing organisation)
• In relation to voluntary negotiations, there is no standardised model that establishes whether a dwelling is to be gifted or sold to a Community Housing Organisation.
• Planning negotiations that require delivery of affordable housing could entail the gifting of completed dwellings or land to a Community Housing Organisation, or the sale of dwellings or land at an acceptable discount rate.
• The delivery model will depend on the negotiations between the land owner and the Council, which should be informed by the advice of a Community Housing Organisation.
• The capacity of a Community Housing Organisation to purchase a dwelling will vary.
• Developers are encouraged to read the Government Guidance on voluntary planning negotiations available here.

• Community Housing Organisations have limited financial capacity due to the low-income nature of their tenants.
• The capacity of a Housing Organisation to purchase a dwelling and the price they can pay will depend on a range of factors that need to be discussed with individual organisations.

• Community Housing Organisations are highly experienced in matching a dwelling to a household that requires affordable housing in any given area.
• Community Housing Organisations take factors such as location, dwelling size and type, access to transport and services, accessibility, market prices and household income capacity into account when determining who will rent the property.
• The sector is currently working with the State Government on the establishment of a single housing register to streamline the application process for potential tenants of both public and community housing.

• Developers can contact Community Housing Organisations to confirm their interest in the transfer of the nominated dwellings
• The developer should notify the Council of the Community Housing Organisation they have selected to receive the public benefit and arrange for the transfer of title for the agreed nominated dwellings once they are completed.

Click here to calculate the value of Public Benefit from gifting affordable housing.

• Within the context of voluntary planning negotiations the Community Housing Sector’s first preference is for land or built-form outcomes to be gifted as a result of planning negotiations. This may result in a smaller percentage of dwellings that would be achieved if dwellings were discounted.
• Land contributions may be an acceptable affordable housing contribution, particularly in larger rezonings. Any council conditions relating to the development of this land must be agreed by the proposed Community Housing Organisation recipient.
• There may be some circumstances where a cash contribution may be acceptable. Community Housing Organisations have the required skills and focus to ensure this contribution is appropriately utilised in an acceptable affordable housing outcome.

• Dwellings gifted under Melbourne CBD Floor Area Uplift arrangement (C270) will be owned by the Registered Housing Association.
• In the case of voluntary planning negotiations, the dwellings are expected to be owned by a Registered Housing Association, however there may be instances where a third party owns the dwellings and the Housing Organisation undertakes the management.

Each local council will determine its affordable housing needs.  The Community Housing Industry Association Victoria strongly encourages councils to defer to Community Housing Organisations on specific housing requirements when negotiating planning outcomes

• Community Housing Organisations are committed to well-designed and appropriately-sized dwellings relative to household needs.
• Individual organisations may have specific requirements – you will need to check with your preferred provider.

Community Housing tenants are expected to have the same facility access requirements as private residents.