Collaborating for a better housing future

PowerHousing Australia continues to expand and strengthen the community housing sector through influencing policy, creating opportunities for aggregations, exploring innovative funding models, enhancing governance and providing a best-practice member exchange.

PowerHousing Australia aspires to continue to strengthen the sector and support our members to solve the housing affordability crisis. Our strategic plan to 2026 seeks to be ambitious, to maximise our impact through our two overarching pillars of Member Exchange and Influencing Outcomes:

1. Member Exchange

A leader in national and international best practice sharing forums. Anchored in peer exchanges among thought leaders, members share and seek common solutions to improve, adapt and expand their business to better serve their communities.

2. Influencing Outcomes

Influencing, informing and shaping stakeholder perspectives and national policy positions to achieve systemic growth for community housing member organisations.

Best Practice Member Exchange

PowerHousing Australia facilitates regular opportunities for members to network, meet and exchange knowledge.

The key focuses for our Member Exchange is to:

• Facilitate member sharing and learning
• Provide opportunities for international member exchange
• Develop member and affiliate partnerships
• Scale benefits for members
• Enhance the talent in the sector
• Support operational best practice
• Collaborate for better tenant outcomes

Our Roundtables

CEO Roundtable, CFO Roundtable, Operations Roundtable, Development and Assets Roundtable.

Our Communities of Practice (CoP)

People and Culture CoP, Disability Housing CoP, National Compliance CoP, Cyber Security CoP.

Working Groups

Treasury Working Group, Emerging Leaders and Rising Stars Working Group, Marketing, Social Media and Communications Working Group, Tenant Engagement Working Group.

Annual Member Exchange Conference

The PowerHousing Annual Member Exchange Conference hosted in Canberra, brings together over 500 sector and industry peers for a two-day conference, awards ceremony and trade show. Our conference provides a forum for focused exchange on issues relevant to our members.

International Housing Partnership Exchange

PowerHousing Australia has a long standing international reputation and commitment to bringing institutional investment into the Australian affordable housing development. PowerHousing Australia is a proud partner of the International Housing Partnership, which allows our member CEOs and executives to connect with international leaders. The International Housing Partnership (IHP) is a collaborative organisation representing more than 175 non-profit housing providers across Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. PowerHousing is the Australia representative at the IHP, along with Housing Partnership Canada, Housing Partnership UK and the Housing Partnership Network (USA).

PowerHousing travelled with a delegation to the United Kingdom in October 2023 for the 2023 International Housing Partnership Leadership Exchange Meeting at Glasgow, UK.

The 2024 International Housing Partnership Leadership Exchange Meeting will be held in Washington DC, USA.

Influencing Outcomes

Our national advocacy and ability to influence outcomes draws upon our member exchange and affiliate expertise. Aligned with our strategic priorities, PowerHousing Australia continues to drive significant advocacy efforts for the community housing sector, creating opportunities for the continued growth and expansion for PowerHousing members.

The key focuses that help us to Influence Outcomes include:

• Influence decision makers and government on CHP capability
• Demonstrate social and economic impact of additional CHP supplied housing
• Encourage Government and institutional investment into the sector
• Jurisdictional awareness and national policy response
• Strategic alignment and partnerships with peak bodies

PowerHousing Australia Conference, Academy & National Awards

PowerHousing Australia’s Annual Member Exchange Conference

PowerHousing Australia’s Annual Member Exchange Conference brings together a high-level network of Australia’s industry leaders, partners and associates, parliamentarians, decision makers and international guests with the purpose of developing and sharing best practice for future growth of the community housing sector, both domestically and internationally.

The Conference provides a forum of best practice together with international examples of social and affordable housing delivery from the largest CHPs in Australia and New Zealand along with international partners and built form/housing experts from across Europe and the USA.

The PowerHousing Member Exchange Conference is a unique opportunity for professionals in the housing sector who deliver, maintain, and support the provision of affordable housing – to demonstrate best practice, build new connections, and gain insights into the future of community housing.

The conference includes Community of Practice and Roundtable meetings, a Non-Executive Directors Forum, Trade Show, and the PowerHousing Academy Scholarships & National Awards dinner.

PowerHousing Academy

The PowerHousing Academy brings together a wide range of initiatives that PowerHousing undertakes to support best practice in the upskilling of all who work in our member organisations. Through these varied initiatives, the Academy seeks to promote a culture throughout our industry of learning, personal growth, mutual support, and resilience.

The PowerHousing Academy objective is a to offer and deliver structured professional development, immersions, talent pathways, best practice sharing’s and networking through PowerHousing Australia and its network.

The Academy as supported by PowerHousing Australia and its affiliate partners and help meet our strategic plan objective to enhance talent in the sector.

PowerHousing Academy Scholarships and National Awards

The PowerHousing Academy Scholarships and National Awards is PowerHousing Australia’s most prestigious and commemorative event of the year.

The PowerHousing Academy Scholarships and National Awards are designed to showcase the individuals, teams, programs, developments, and partnerships across the PowerHousing Australia membership whose significant achievements have gone above and beyond expectations and have set new sector standards for excellence and innovation.

PowerHousing Academy Rising Stars

The PowerHousing Academy Rising Stars are the nominees of the ‘PowerHousing Academy Rising Star Award’ from our annual PowerHousing Academy National Awards and Scholarship ceremony, which is held during our conference. All Rising Star nominees are invited to participate in the PowerHousing Australia Emerging Leaders and Rising Star Working Group which meet online three to four times a year. These meetings provide an opportunity to discuss and share best practice and, through understanding and awareness, encourage the development of the emerging leaders and rising stars in the sector. All Rising Star nominees are also able to further their career development though sector recognition, biography showcasing in our newsletter, mentoring opportunities, as well as other potential future career supporting engagements as they become available. The winner, runner up and highly commended recipients of the Rising Star award also receive a tier levelled PowerHousing Academy Scholarship which they can utilise towards professional development of their choosing, subject to organisational and PowerHousing Australia approval.