Ken Marchingo on capacity building and the foundations for community housing growth

Come and hear from Ken Marchingo, CEO of Australia’s first registered affordable housing association. Followed with informal networking and discussion.

When: Thursday 26 October 9.30 am – 12 noon

Where: Ministry of Social Development, The Aurora Conference Centre, 56 The Terrace, Wellington

Cost: No cost

Background

Ken is an inspirational speaker, is innovative and has been in the social housing space in Victoria for many years. He’s the CEO of Victoria’s and Australia’s first registered housing association. One of the key issues the AHI New Zealand Branch Committee has wanted to prioritise is to start conversation about capacity building and how to grow the community housing sector in New Zealand. We know this is of interest to you too! The opportunity to engage with a growth oriented housing association in Australia that has been through this journey is something CHP’s are keen on. So we thought it’s an opportunity to have a discussion across the sector and with Government agencies responsible for capacity building in a learning and networking environment while Ken is here. Ken is quite an engaging personality too and visits Aotearoa with no conflicting interests. Some further background:

• Haven(the trading name for Loddon Mallee Housing Services headquartered in Bendigo) was Victoria’s and Australia’s first registered housing association (in NZ the closest equivalent would be a Class 2 registered CHP if that was turned on) – AHA001.
• It was registered in 2005 (one of the first 6 registrations) – the Victorian Government had only just passed the new legislation and was keen to get some registrations underway.
• At the time of registration, Lodden Mallee Housing Services was primarily a homelessness service provider in Bendigo but was managing about 100 State Government owned houses. Its case for registration was based on its capacity to be a ‘growth vehicle’ (that’s what Victpria called the Housing associations) , clear Board priorities and direction and passion to grow.
• Between 2005 and 2011 the State Government invested heavily in the growth of the registered housing associations (more so than the growth of the Office of Housing’s public housing portfolio), in capacity building of the sector and undertook three stock transfers to the housing associations.
• Today, Haven owns and operates a social housing portfolio of between 2,000 and 3,000 homes across the State including the hottest market, Melbourne – not bad for a 6 year programme! And as a housing association has led some significant affordable and social housing developments such as ‘Wattlewood’ on the Mornington Peninsula – $80+ million master-planned private property development with a 237-lot residential subdivision and 100 new affordable housing units integrated with private market homes. That’s the equivalent of Waimahia but as one housing association!

Acknowledging: MSD for providing the venue and morning tea; Community Housing Regulatory Authority

This is an AHI networking event with Ken Marchingo, CEO Victoria’s Haven: Home Safe Housing Association in association with Community Housing Aotearoa and Te Matapihi