Market Analysis
Our service is aimed at providing homes for tenants in the seven Local Government areas of Auburn, Baulkham Hills, Hornsby, Hunters Hill, Parramatta, Ryde and Willoughby. We originated in Ryde, and as we have grown we have expanded to accept opportunities in these neighbouring areas. Their proximity allows us to continue to cost effectively manage housing and assist tenants within a reasonable travel from our office at Ryde.
Unfortunately the number of people needing our assistance grows each year due to the progressive loss in the community of accommodation for low income earners due to escalation in accommodation costs which cause dispossession and displacement of these people.
Marketing Strategy
The strategies we employ to advance our objectives and services are embodied in strategic goals. Allied to those strategic goals are actions designed to help us realise those goals over the next five years.
Those goals can be roughly divided into two main categories of endeavour which inform the activities of our staff and Board:
- Management services supplied to our current tenants, or those on our waiting list, which aim to provide secure, affordable and sustainable tennacies within the properties we currently manage.
- Growth activities which aim to acquire by lease, ownership or other agreement, increases in the availability of affordable housing for those people in need of housing assistance.
Key Strategic Goals – 2009/10 to 2011/12
1. Sustain Growth and Expansion
- Maintain the growth of the organisation’s housing portfolio by identifying new expansion opportunities in keeping with managerial capacities and local housing needs.
2. Maintain and Expand Partnerships
- Maintain and expand partnerships with service providers in order to meet local housing needs.
3. Promote Tenant Participation
- Facilitate tenant access to information and housing services and continue to encourage tenant participation in the co-operative’s decision-making processes.
4. Respond to Changing Client Needs
- Respond to changing client needs in the local community and maintain high quality client and housing services.
5. Improve the Co-operative’s Housing Provision and Service
- Achieve continual improvements in housing provision and services.
6. Uphold Best Practice in Governance and Management Practices
- Maintain a commitment to a sustainable community and promote a skilled and cohesive Board of Directors and Management Team
- Ensure compliance with the co-operative’s policies and procedures, including OH&S policies and procedures
- Ensure compliance with relevant legal, legislative, regulatory and other obligations.
7. Apply the Principles of Sustainability
- Apply the principles of sustainability to tenant households, to asset management policies and practices, to the local community and to the environment.
8. Promote Community Housing within the Local Community and Forums
- Promote the benefits of community housing within the local communities served by RHHCH and publicise the co-operative’s work and achievements.
9. Provide Leadership and Direction for the Development of the Community Housing Sector
- Share the co-operative’s expertise in the provision of affordable housing within the community housing sector and other stakeholders.
All strategic goals outlined above will be reviewed annually by the Board of Directors. This review process will assess the organisation’s progress In realising the stated goals and also provide an opportunity for the strategy direction to be revised if necessary.
Financial Overview – 2006 to 2010
Our financial strategy has been based on intending to build and continue on our base of successful and prudent trading over prior years, with our staff earning respect from our community our tenants and funders, leading to increasing resources for our community each year. Our Income projections, projected trading result and equity outcomes are outlined below. Our past financial performance is summarised in our Financial Statements.
Revenue Sources
Our revenue sources in the past have been prudently managed delivering consistent revenues increasing each year.
Revenue sources include rental payments from our tenants and subsidies which are provided from the Office of Community Housing (OCH). The subsidy includes provision for where rent able to be paid by a tenant fails below our costs to head lease from the market and manage that home.
In addition to these main sources of revenue, RHHCH has generated additional revenue from Department of Housing short term leases, fee for service revenue and contributions towards affordable housing under State Environmental Planning Policy 10 ( SEPP 10 ).
Projected Trading Result – 2006 to 2010
Our projections based on prior years are to trade with incomes and expenditures of $1.5m in 2006 growing each year to over $3m pa as we grow our portfolio. We aim to return a small surplus each year adequate to maintain and increase our cash reserves a portion of which are restricted to undertake maintenance when it falls due.
Asset Maintenance – 2006 to 2010
The Co-operative has dedicated Restricted Cash Reserves which are built from income and reserved to provide for maintenance of properties owned by the Crown and under which we hold a head lease from the Office of Community Housing. Our Asset Maintenance Planoutlines the details of our Asset Mgt Planning for those properties for a ten year period.
Increase in Equity – 2006 to 2010
Our registered Rules ask the Board to take up equity in properties wherever possible in order to redress the loss of affordable housing in the community.
While our free cash reserves remain modest, we will pursue this goal by seeking agreements in which we may enter shared equity schemes where our property management skills and ability to offer ongoing reliable tenancy is attractive to prospective partners, willing to share equity in return for these benefits.
We will also demonstrate strong governance and the sustainability of our organisation as a worthy recipient of capital transfers from government or nonprofit or commercial organisations, willing to hand title over to us for our custodianship as affordable or special needs housing for the community benefit.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
For this and prior planning periods we have undertaken a detailed risk assessment of the issues we need to manage and have undertaken identification of opportunities we may pursue to maintain and expand our services. The result is documented in various strategies and plans e.g. Strategic Goals, Operational Plan, Asset Management Plan, Asset Maintenance Plan, Risk Management Plan etc. and in the organisation’s policies and procedures. We undertake ongoing review during the management of our organisation against these strategies and plans.
Business Structure
Ryde-Hunters Hill Community Housing Co-op Ltd (RHHCH) is registered as a non-trading share co-operative under the Co-operatives Act 1992 (NSW) ABN 72 442 020 761.
Certificate of Incorporation 73KB
The Co-operative has both within and outside NSW the legal capacity of a natural person and therefore has the powers necessary to undertake loans, buy, develop, sell or let land and to undertake joint ventures or form companies, trusts or take part in such ventures.
We are a not-for-profit organization, whose Constitution requires that we are established for the purpose of the relief of poverty, sickness, destitution, helplessness and distress, regardless of race, creed, colour or gender.
As a non-trading co-operative, we are not allowed to give returns or distributions of any surplus we make or share capital we have to members other than the nominal value of the share each member purchases when they join us. This means that the efforts of our staff and members go back into delivering the objects of the Cooperative in helping our community.
Management
Board of Directors
The rules of the co-operative allow for an eight member Board of Directors. The Board is elected by the co-operative’s membership (primarily comprising tenants) at the Annual General Meeting held in November each year. The Board is composed of a mix of skilled Directors from both tenant members and members from the broader community, resulting in a mix of financial, technical, social, community and management expertise all committed to the co-operative’s goals. The Board periodically reviews its performance and strives to ensure that its collective skills are commensurate with the co-operative’s objectives and strategic challenges.
Current Directors are:
- Dominic O’Brien – Chairperson
- Joseph Scarf – Vice-Chairperson
- Aldo Manitta – Secretary
- Geoffrey Smith – Treasurer
- Nazir Gul Daawar – Director
- Kate Higgins – Director
- Olwen Paul – Director
The Board meets monthly between January and November i.e. eleven times annually. The AGM is normally held during the last week of November.
The Board has a formal Monitoring and Review Program which includes the following key topics:
- OH&S
- Monthly Income Statement
- Monthly Balance Sheet
- Debtors (Rental Arrears)
- Financial Budget (Quarterly Review)
- Tenants, Community & Members Matters and Consultation
- Board Skills, Recruitment & Succession
- Risk Management Plan
- Probity (Anti-Fraud & Anti-Corruption)
- Environmental Sustainability Plan
- Asset Management Plan (incl. Asset Maintenance Plan)
- Business Plan (incl. Strategic Goals)
- OCH Registration
The Board elects six Committees, namely the Management Review Committee (staff salaries and conditions), Development Committee, Audit & Risk Committee, Disputes Committee, Policy Committee and Allocations Committee. These committees meet in accordance with the Board’s business requirements throughout the year.
Board training is offered to all Directors, beginning with briefings on the Rules and policies and procedures through to ongoing offers of formal governance training sessions conducted by external organisations and promotion of the benefits of Director development through the Housing Association Directors Network.
Directors Duties and Responsibilities
Director Expression of Interest Form 58KB
Staff Structure
RHHCH currently employs five members of staff.
- Jon Atkins (CEO)
- Wendy Edwards (Senior Housing Manager)
- Liz Breden (Asset Manager)
- Marella Gouvernet (Finance Officer)
- Jenny Bennett (Office Manager)
RHHCH also engages specialist contractual services when required.
Occupational Health and Safety
Occupational Health and Safety is provided for through procedures including hazard identification checklists, safe working procedures and the reporting to and review of health & safety by the Board.
All staff and Board members also commit to our Code of Conduct, ensuring an ethical workplace.
Performance Based Registration Status
RHHCH is proud to have achieved and hold Performance Based Registration issued by the Office of Community Housing, NSW Department of Housing, Registration Number: PBRS-65, Registration Status: 2A
Performance based registration involves assessment, by the Office of Community Housing, of our performance against nine outcomes in the areas of Service Quality, Corporate Governance and Financial Sustainability.
Certificate of Registration 2009
Taxation Status
RHHCH is recognised as a charitable institution and is endorsed for charity tax concessions, namely income tax exemption, GST concessions and FBT rebate.
We are also registered as a deductible gift recipient DGR.
