Every good program starts with a hard look at reality. For Community Housing Futures WA, that moment came in 2022 when Shelter WA commissioned the Paxon Group to examine a question that had been sitting uncomfortably in the sector for years: why is Western Australia’s community housing sector not growing fast enough to meet demand, and what would it take to change that?  

What the Research Found:

Funded by the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC), the Community Housing Sector Growth Opportunities report identified that while the WA community housing sector had real potential to partner with government to deliver more social and affordable housing, most organisations, particularly small to medium CHOs, were constrained by capability and capacity gaps that made it difficult to access funding, manage larger portfolios, or scale up delivery.  

The report found that a general lack of understanding between CHOs and government was limiting collaboration, that procurement processes were often too burdensome for smaller organisations, and that grant programs, when designed well, were one of the most effective tools for building sector capability and driving housing supply.  

Critically, the Paxon Report recommended that the WA Government invest directly in capability and capacity building across the community housing sector, particularly for small to medium CHOs, drawing on successful models already operating in other Australian jurisdictions.  

From Recommendation to Reality:

Community Housing Futures WA is that investment. The program’s three-stream model, Growth Readiness Assessment, Business Advisory, and Training, Education and Tools, maps directly onto the Paxon Report’s recommendations: diagnose barriers, fund expert support, and build sector-wide skills. The research did not just identify a problem; it provided a roadmap. Community Housing Futures WA is following it.