Australian not-for-profit housing provider Community Housing Limited (CHL) has announced the integration of Horizon Housing, Queensland’s largest housing provider into the CHL Group of Companies, providing CHL with a strong advantage in Queensland to deliver more affordable housing in the state.
Over the next year this integration will drive growth for the two organisations so that more Australians who are facing housing crisis are able to secure long-term affordable housing.
The integration will boost CHL’s current portfolio to over 11,000 properties by November, making it the largest community housing provider in the country. The combined group will manage community and affordable housing properties across the six states with nearly 300 staff delivering services to support those most disadvantaged.
The new arrangement will consolidate expertise and strengthen the reach and services offered by both community housing providers. It will allow both the organisations to utilise their complementary strengths and drive efficiencies, reducing costs and releasing revenue to access more finance to build more homes and improve the quality of services to customers.
Horizon Housing, Queensland’s largest housing provider with operations in 15 local government areas across Queensland and parts of New South Wales, provides both community housing programs and affordable housing projects and has over 2400 properties in its portfolio, all of which will now benefit from the expansion of services and increased resources available via CHL.
“This new arrangement further strengthens the position of both organisations, providing each with mutually beneficial outcomes aligned to our shared vision of providing the communities we serve with affordable housing solutions that are available and accessible by those in need,” says Community Housing Limited Group’s, managing director, Steve Bevington.
“Our collaboration is an exciting development for the sector and redefines the landscape, we look forward to drawing on this strengthened position to deliver future affordable housing solutions as the housing crisis across the country escalates,” says Bevington.
For 25 years, CHL has been supporting and growing the industry both locally and internationally, providing end to end affordable housing developments and long term housing and tenancy management operations in Australia.
“Horizon’s integration within the CHL Group is another step in that direction,” concludes Bevington.
CEO of Horizon Housing, Jason Cubit, said the organisation is excited to be part of the CHL group of companies.
“The integration of Horizon Housing and CHL is an exciting new chapter, as it allows us to pool the expertise and resources critical to improving the lives of the most vulnerable members of the community,” said Mr Cubit.
“Our initiatives don’t only help families get by in the short-term but empower them to break the cycle of financial stress, aiding a transition into the private rental or property market,” he said.
The integration of the two entities creates a powerful alliance to fight the problem recently highlighted by the latest Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot, which categorised three out of 67,365 rental properties listed in Australia as “affordable” for a single person on Newstart Allowance.
Horizon Housing and its subsidiaries will maintain business as usual for the foreseeable future, delivering quality services to Queensland’s most vulnerable, whilst retaining all current governance structures, branding and staffing.
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