- 33 Community Housing Providers (CHP) now registered in WA
- 22 per cent increase in registered CHPs since December 2023
- Two Aboriginal Community Controlled Housing Organisations registered and nine more seeking registration
Murchison Region Aboriginal Corporation (MRAC) has become just the second Aboriginal Community Controlled Housing Organisation (ACCHO) to be officially registered as a Community Housing Provider (CHP) in Western Australia.
MRAC provides housing services in the Mid West and Gascoyne regions, assisting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to secure good quality long-term housing and providing culturally safe tenancy support and property management to cultivate sustainable tenancies. MRAC has responsibility for 122 owned and managed long-term community housing properties.
There are now 33 CHPs registered under the Department of Communities' regulatory framework to deliver housing services across WA.
The Community Housing Regulatory Framework (CHRF) provides assurance to Government and potential investors that registered CHPs are well governed, well managed, financially viable and capable of providing good quality housing services that meet the needs of tenants.
The framework also aims to develop sector capacity and enhance sector credibility and reputation, to attract capital investment to grow social and affordable housing.
Six CHPs have been registered through the CHRF since December 2023, increasing the number of registered Community Housing Providers by 22 per cent.
In July 2022, the Cook Labor Government provided $150,000 in funding to Shelter WA to deliver an Aboriginal Community Housing Organisation (ACHO) Sector Strengthening Project, to support commitments to Closing the Gap reforms.
As stated by Housing Minister John Carey:
"Our Government is committed to working alongside Community Housing Providers and boosting their numbers to bolster delivery and supply of housing to support the most vulnerable people in our community.
"The Cook Labor Government is providing more than $150 million in grants to the community housing sector to deliver new builds and to refurbish existing homes to keep existing stock in the system and fit-for-purpose.
"We welcome Murchison Region Aboriginal Corporation as a new CHP in Western Australia, while a further 27 providers are currently seeking registration or have applications currently being assessed, importantly nine of which are ACCHOs.
"Since our record $3.2 billion investment in housing and homelessness measures, we've added more than 2,500 social homes across the State, with a further 1,000 social homes under contract or construction."
As stated by Geraldton MLA Lara Dalton:
"Murchison Region Aboriginal Corporation becoming just the second Aboriginal Community Controlled Housing Organisation to officially be recognised as a Community Housing Provider is a fantastic outcome for the Geraldton electorate.
"I'm proud to be part of the Cook Labor Government as we continue to support and empower ACCHOs and CHPs across my electorate, who along with the State Government, are doing everything we can to provide more safe and affordable housing to those who need it."
