In New South Wales, community housing is provided by the not-for-profit sector and administered by the Office of Community Housing. Community housing is part of the broader social housing system, offering those most in need, access to affordable and appropriate housing.
The Office of Community Housing (OCH) plays a major role in the sector’s strategic development and in ensuring that community housing is effectively managed, operates in the public interest and is accountable to Government. In particular, it administers the accreditation and registration programs, which support the maintenance of the high standards in the sector.
The role of the Office of Community Housing is to:
- Set the strategic directions for community housing in partnership with community housing providers;
- Plan new community housing developments;
- Fund community housing providers;
- Regulate community housing; and to
- Help community housing providers to continually improve the services they offer tenants.
The Office of Community Housing’s central Office is located at Ashfield. There are divisional offices at Coffs Harbour, Newcastle, Wollongong and Orange.
Community housing tenants are not tenants of the Office of Community Housing or the Department of Housing. They are the tenants of the housing provider.