Program

Day 1, Tuesday 1 April 2025

Time

Session information

08:30am

Registration

09:00am

Welcome to Country

09:15am

Opening address

Invited speaker: The Hon Harriet Shing, Victorian Minister for Housing

09:45am

Plenary 1         First Nations Housing and the Treaty Process

In November 2024, the Victorian Government and the First Peoples’ Assembly began negotiating Australia’s first Treaty. Learn about the role of the Assembly and the Treaty process, and hear First Nations perspectives on how we can work together to change Victoria’s current housing system to better meet the needs of Aboriginal Victorians.

Darren Smith, CEO, Aboriginal Housing Victoria

Djaran Murray-Jackson, Dja Dja Wurrung Reserved Seat holder in the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria

10:45am

Morning tea

11:15am

Concurrent 1

SPVs demystified: everything you need to know

Discover the drivers and implications of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) for your business, and what it means for the community housing sector more broadly. Hear from the authors of recent analysis on this topic as well as sector leaders on the pros and cons of establishing and managing SPVs.

Speakers

Rob Tyson, Director, Polis Partners

David Fisher, CEO, Housing Choices Australia

Lee Monik, Chief Governance Officer, Community Housing Ltd

Concurrent 2

Community housing – an accidental career?

Who comes to work in our sector and why? How can we attract, keep and develop the community housing workforce? Dive into insights from the 2024 workforce survey on motivation and career aspirations, hear about actual career pathways of community housing workers and take part in a workshop designed to explore participants’ career paths and build an understanding of the dynamics of the sector workforce.

Speakers

Robin Zakharov, Director, Workforce, CHIA Vic

Leonie Harris, Aboriginal Housing Victoria

Facilitator: Jennie Bentley, Manager HR/OD, AHV

Concurrent 3

The future of tenancy dispute resolution

Starting mid-2025, Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV) will streamline tenancy dispute resolutions by creating new pathways for managing rent, damages, repairs, and bonds, diverting cases away from VCAT. This session explores RDRV’s role in the broader context of social housing disputes. This includes how housing managers can help avoid disputes, what is changing in the formal dispute management process, and potential community housing practice improvements.

Speakers

Deputy President Lindsay Warren, Head of Residential Tenancies Division, VCAT

Lisa May, State Operations Manager, CHL

Jennifer Beveridge, CEO, Tenants Victoria

Concurrent 4

Aboriginal cultural walk

Join the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation on a guided walking tour through the inner city. The tour will highlight the significant history of the Wurundjeri people and the cultural connection between people and place.

Please note: This walk will proceed regardless of the weather so come prepared! Book your spot during registration. Numbers are limited; waitlists available.

12:30pm

Lunch

1:30pm

Plenary 2       Building the future of community housing

Gain a better understanding of Homes Victoria’s vision for the community housing sector at this facilitated discussion with Simon Newport, the CEO of Homes Victoria. The conversation will touch on community housing’s role in the social housing system, how to grow the community housing sector into the future and much more.

Simon Newport, CEO, Homes Victoria 

2:00pm

Plenary 3        Launch of House Keys Victoria

Join us for the launch of House Keys Victoria and see how this innovative industry benchmarking tool can help improve tenancy services and financial performance for community housing organisations.

2:15pm

Concurrent 5

Future directions in social housing regulation

Now that the Victorian government has responded to the final report of the Social Housing Regulation Review, what will this mean for the sector? What are the next steps? Be part of the conversation around how we can move towards a national regulatory system and discover insights from the first year of real time regulation in this not-to-be missed conference session.

Speakers

Justin Peysack, Housing Registrar

Dr David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy and the Social Economy at RMIT University; and Chair, Victorian Government’s Social Housing Regulation Review

Concurrent 6

Harnessing AI for community housing: opportunities and risks

Get ready to dive into the tech revolution! Explore where the AI landscape is up to for not-for-profit organisations and how you can use AI to support your business.

From unpacking key terms to exploring the range of apps available, this session will help you to understand how AI could be used in your organisation, and to identify and manage the risks involved in using AI tools.

Speaker

Kate vanderVoort, Social Mediology

Facilitator: Tara Miller, Haven Home, Safe

Concurrent 7

Innovative construction for social housing

Prepare to be inspired in this session as we explore how modern methods of construction are being used to deliver social housing in Australia. From off-site manufacturing to standardised designs and processes to 3D printing, you will leave thinking differently about how you can design and build your next community housing project.

Speakers

Duncan Maxwell, Building 4.0 CRC and Monash University

Brad Draper, Aboriginal Sustainable Homes

TBC

Facilitator: Dr Corrie Williams, Master Builders Victoria

3:45pm

Afternoon tea

4:15pm

Plenary 5         Funding resilient and fragile social housing systems: reflections from Ireland and Denmark

Wrap up the first day with an engaging presentation live from Ireland by Professor Michelle Norris, an international expert in social housing. Using case studies from Ireland and Denmark, she will explore how financing structures impact social housing growth, offering insights applicable to Victoria and Australia.

Professor Norris will close the session with an interactive live Q&A, where you can ask your questions directly and engage in a lively discussion.

Professor Michelle Norris, University College Dublin

5:00pm – 6:00pm

Networking drinks

Day 2, Wednesday 2 April 2025

Time

Session information

08:30am

Registration

09:00am

Welcome

09:00am

Opening address

The Hon Clare O’Neil, Federal Minister for Housing

09:30am

Plenary 6        Funding the future

Join a panel of experts as we explore the potential for different funding and procurement models to grow the community housing sector.

Hear about the UK approach to a program-based funding model, and get insights into the perspectives of key funding bodies Homes Victoria and Housing Australia.

Scott Langford, CEO, Housing Australia

Simon Newport, CEO, Homes Victoria

Additional speaker TBC

10:30am

Morning tea

11:00am

Concurrent 8

Collaborative partnerships: workshopping a key worker housing model

Join us for an interactive workshop on creating a key worker housing model through partnerships between local councils, employers, and community housing organisations. Kick off with dynamic presentations from council, employer, and CHO perspectives, then dive into collaborative group discussions to brainstorm and refine the key elements of a key worker housing model. Be part of shaping the future of key worker housing in Victoria!

Speakers

Jim Spillane, Principal Policy Officer – Affordable Housing, City of Melbourne

Bess Nolan-Cook, CEO, Tourism Northeast

Charlie Souma, Group GM Affordable Housing Services, Evolve Housing

Concurrent 9

Housing the continuum: co ops, co-contributions and collaborations

Solutions to Australia’s housing crisis are needed across the housing spectrum. This session covers three innovative solutions from home ownership to solving homelessness.

Come and learn how new program models, alternative funding sources, innovative design and partnerships can help improve the supply of safe, stable and affordable housing.

Speakers

Liz Thomas, CEO, Common Equity Housing Limited

Fiona Herman, Chair, Common Equity Housing Limited

Nicola Foxworthy, Imagine Housing

Meron Tierney, Beyond Housing

Facilitator: Tanya Davidge, Open House Melbourne

Concurrent 10

Safe at Home: reducing homelessness for family violence survivors

With affordable housing becoming increasingly hard to find, responses to family violence that require the victim-survivor(s) to relocate can ultimately lead to them becoming homeless. Gain critical insights into the benefits of taking a ‘safe at home’ approach when supporting victim-survivors of family violence and how you can make a difference to the experience of your renters with presentations from family violence practitioners as well as a survivor advocate.

Speakers

Liz Ratcliffe, Safe and Equal

Rachel Zbukvic, Safe and Equal

Safe and Equal Survivor Advocate

12:30pm

Lunch

1:30pm

Concurrent 11

Empowering futures through training and employment pathways

Discover how community housing can be a launchpad for training and employment opportunities! Get inspired as we explore three innovative models creating new pathways for renters. Hear about programs breaking down barriers for women and girls, and two unique employment initiatives for social housing residents. Leave with fresh insights on how your organisation can shape the future of employment in the not-for-profit sector.

Speakers

Cara McDougall, CHIA NSW

Radhika Ittiel, Uniting VT

Mikaela Straface, WomenCan Australia

Concurrent 12

Can the Plan for Victoria deliver the affordable housing we need?

Housing affordability and choice are at the heart of Victoria’s new planning strategy. Don’t miss this exciting session where we’ll unpack what this new plan means for the future of social and affordable housing.

Join a dynamic panel of experts from government, industry, and academia as they discuss the new Plan and how we can ensure that it creates a Victoria where everyone enjoys the dignity of a secure, affordable home.

Speakers

Natalie Reiter, Deputy Secretary, Strategy and Precincts, Department of Transport and Planning

Patrick Fensham, President of PIA Vic and Principal at SGS Planning and Economics

Stephen Glackin, Senior research fellow, Centre for Urban Transitions, Swinburne University

Oscar McLennan, CEO, Ys Housing

Concurrent 13

Embracing partnerships to deliver better housing support

Community housing and support organisations must join forces to provide high quality services to renters with diverse and complex needs. But how can they collaborate effectively while staying true to their roles?

Join us to explore the biggest challenges in this space, from funding and eligibility to the availability of support workers. Discover which issues have the most significant impact and learn about innovative models that can inspire new approaches to renter support.

Speakers

Mark Heeney, Executive Director Housing Strategy, Mind Australia

Additional speakers TBC

2:45pm

Afternoon tea

3:00pm

Concurrent 14

How to deliver climate friendly property upgrades that work for renters

Discover innovative ways to retrofit existing properties to better withstand climate change while delivering what renters want most for their homes. This engaging session brings together a panel of experts to share insights on the impacts of various home upgrades, renter preferences, and how to maximise renter benefits when applying sustainable design principles to your projects.

Speakers

Josh Danahay, Climateworks Centre

Jacob Wallace, Homes Victoria

TBC

Concurrent 15

Resilience strategies for housing workers

Learn how to manage the emotional impact of working with tenants who face mental health challenges. We’ll focus on recognizing signs of compassion fatigue, implementing self-care practices, and seeking support to maintain well-being and effectiveness in your role.

This session will provide practical support and education to help housing workers manage these challenges effectively.

Speaker

Ian Goodhardt, Goodhardt consulting

Concurrent 16

The community engagement journey: from concept to creating community

Discover ways that community housing organisations can engage with communities at every stage of a new housing development—from inception to ongoing engagement once renters have moved in. Through compelling case studies, our presenters will showcase how they’ve successfully fostered a sense of community by collaborating with renters, neighbouring residents, and the broader community.

Join us to learn how to create vibrant, connected communities!

Speakers

Alicia Hooper, Strategic Initiatives Coordinator, Surf Coast Council

Housing Choices development team

Mubeen Hamza, Community Place Manager, Haven Home Safe

4:00pm

Plenary 

Closing keynote TBC

4:30pm

Conference close

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