The Andrews Labor Government has junked red tape that has previously had the potential to delay starts on new community housing projects.

The move makes it easier for Victoria’s not-for-profit community housing providers to access government funding to develop new accommodation for families and individuals.

The streamlined arrangements make it quicker for community housing providers to register with the Housing Registrar – a vital step to establish bona fides and a pre-requisite for funding support.

The $5.3 billion Big Housing Build has driven significant growth in the community housing sector and this improved approvals system will help providers to get on with providing important new projects.

The initiative will save at least four weeks in the process of ensuring providers are meeting all requirements and will also reduce the administrative burden for the not-for-profit organisations.

Melbourne City Mission Housing is one of the not-for-profits benefiting from the change as it continues its work supporting the community.

The Housing Registrar has oversight of the community housing sector in Victoria, ensuring performance standards are met to enable quality services to be delivered to tenants.

The community housing reform is one of 57 projects funded through the Labor Government’s $40 million Regulation Reform Incentive Fund to reduce red tape, simplify processes and speed up approvals to enable up to $200 million in ongoing annual benefits.

The landmark Big Housing Build is delivering more than 12,000 new homes – boosting Victoria’s social housing supply by 10 per cent – while generating 10,000 jobs each year over the four-year program.