CHIA Vic is providing support to community housing organisations to effect social, economic and environmental change in Victorian communities using social procurement activities in the Big Housing Build.
The Victorian Government is incorporating social procurement expectations into the Big Housing Build to leverage the impact of this historic investment to deliver social objectives such as equality, safety, diversity, inclusion and sustainability. This is creating an opportunity for the community housing sector to lead the way in creating genuine, long-term, inclusive social change.
The key social procurement objectives of the Big Housing Build are:
- Women’s equality and safety and opportunities for women
- Opportunities for Victorian Aboriginal people
- Opportunities for disadvantage Victorians
There are also related obligations relating to how projects source workers, including the Local Jobs First initiative and the Working for Victorians platform.
CHIA Vic is developing a growing list of resources which can help members achieve these objectives.
Women’s equality and safety and opportunities for women
There are a number of ways that organisations can demonstrate their commitment to women’s equality and safety. These include conducting an organisational gender audit; developing a gender equity plan; sexual harassment and sexual assault policies; flexible working arrangements; and family violence leave.
CHOs can also work with their developers and suppliers to provide safe and equitable onsite practices, for example through recognising employees’ rights to an environment free of discrimination, harassment and bullying, and ensuring amenities are provided for women such as onsite female ablution blocks.
Resources:
Opportunities for Victorian Aboriginal people
CHIA Vic’s Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework is a tool for CHOs to help them embed Aboriginal cultural safety, accountability and monitoring into all aspects of their organisation.
To further support their commitment to providing opportunities for Victorian Aboriginal people, CHOs can adopt equitable employment practices such as development of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment plan, Reconciliation Action Plan, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural safety plan, offering access to cultural and ceremony leave and undertaking Aboriginal cultural training. CHOs can also work with developers and suppliers to implement culturally safe work practices on construction sites.
Resources:
Kinaway and Supply Nation both maintain directories of Aboriginal owned businesses