Australian Community Housing
Australian Community Housing (ACH) is the national peak body representing not for profit community housing providers across Australia.
Formed through the 2025 merger of CHIA National and PowerHousing Australia, ACH brings together decades of policy expertise, delivery experience and member advocacy to represent a unified, coordinated sector.
Advocating for Policy and System Reform
We advocate for policy settings and investment frameworks that enable the growth and sustainability of community housing. By engaging with government, industry and stakeholders, we aim to position community housing as essential social and economic infrastructure. Our advocacy efforts are informed by our members’ experience and knowledge and the sector’s demonstrated capacity to deliver impactful housing solutions.
Building Capacity
We are committed to building the capacity of the sector through:
- Communities of Practice: facilitating established networks such as Disability Housing, DFV, People & Culture, the Community Housing Climate Action Network, Community Development Australia CHP Network and others.
- Events hosting conferences, roundtables and member consultations that bring together sector experts, policymakers and stakeholders, to discuss challenges and provide innovative solutions.
- Resources building on significant work such as the ESG Reporting Framework and the SIGMAH tool which measures the wider social and economic benefits of a development, developed in partnership with members and helping attract institutional investment.
Our Purpose
Our registered not for profit CHP members range from growth-focused providers to locally embedded organisations. Together, we represent a sector that provides secure, social and affordable housing to tens of thousands of Australians, housing that is life changing and community building with national impact.
Our Vision
To position community housing as essential national infrastructure, enabling inclusive, aff ordable and sustainable housing outcomes for people and communities across Australia.
Our Mission
ACH exists to champion the work of its members and ensure that community housing is recognised as essential social and economic infrastructure. We support members, shape national housing policy and strengthen sector capability to expand community housing and improve outcomes for tenants and communities.
Our Values
- Inclusivity: We represent a diverse sector, ensuring all voices are heard and respected.
- Collaboration: We foster partnerships across government, industry and communities.
- Integrity: We uphold transparency and accountability in all our endeavors.
- Innovation: We encourage forward-thinking solutions to address housing challenges.
Our Priorities
- Grow the supply of safe, secure and affordable housing
- Build a strong, coordinated and capable sector
- Shape a future-ready policy and delivery environment
- Position housing as social and economic infrastructure
- Elevate the role of community housing in national reform agendas
Our History
ACH builds upon the strong foundations established by CHIA and PowerHousing Australia. The merger of these two organisations into Australian Community Housing signifies a unified commitment to addressing community housing needs through growth of supply, best practices in housing and community development and excellence in tenancy and asset management.