Becoming a community housing provider

The Queensland Registrar defines community housing as social and affordable housing that is not public housing and is delivered by local government and registered community organisations. Community housing assets are funded under the Housing Act 2003.

This service assists eligible Queenslanders on low to moderate incomes, including those listed on the department's social housing register.

Read more about this definition.

National Regulatory System for Community Housing

The National Regulatory System for Community Housing (NRSCH) is the national system of registering, monitoring and regulating community housing providers.

The NRSCH ensures a well-governed, well-managed, scalable and sustainable community housing sector that meets the housing needs of tenants and provides assurance for government and investors.

Community housing providers that want to deliver a funded social housing service in Queensland must be registered with the NRSCH.

If you're thinking of registering as a community housing provider, review these registration streams and choose the one that best suits your organisation’s circumstances.

Registration streams

Exempt from registration

You may be exempt from registration if you are:

• a provider who is exempt from registration under the Housing Regulation 2015 (updated in 2023)
• an affordable accommodation provider, such as Build to Rent and Housing Investment Fund providers
• a provider registering as a special purpose vehicle (SPV) – including entities that have applied for funding under Housing Australia Future Fund Facility or National Housing Accord Facility programs – to deliver affordable housing assets
• privately funded – not subject to government funding provided for community housing (i.e. funding is through philanthropic or environment, social and governance programs)
• an organisation providing social housing services only, such as tenancy management on behalf of a registered community housing provider.

Intent to register subject to funding

This option is limited to providers that intend to register if they secure government funding. This includes a provider that:

• has not yet secured government funding but has lodged an application to receive funding
• requires government funding (e.g. QHIGI) to achieve their community housing objectives.

Full registration

This option is relevant for a provider that:

• is acquiring or has received government funding to provide community housing
• is acquiring or has acquired community housing assets
• owns, has acquired or is acquiring land – wholly or partially – on which they are or will construct community housing assets
• is currently registered as a community housing provider in a state or territory elsewhere in Australia (excluding an SPV).

Light registration

This option is limited to a subsidiary or an SPV to deliver social housing, including:

• a subsidiary of an existing community housing provider that is currently registered in Queensland or a NRSCH jurisdiction within Australia
• a provider that is registering as an SPV – including entities that have applied for funding under Housing Australia Future Fund Facility or National Housing Accord Facility programs – to deliver social housing assets
• an arrangement in partnership with a community housing provider to deliver of community housing assets, where the community housing provider has a significant role in the affiliation's governance and operations.

Expression of intent

The Queensland Registrar needs to be satisfied that you are providing, or intend to provide, a community housing service.

This means more than intent or speculation. You must provide some expression of intent through a proposal for a future action or a present proposal.

For example, you must either:

• be actively pursuing community housing tender opportunities
• have already secured committed funding.

Find out how to apply for national registration.