ACHIA Aboriginal Community Housing Industry Association

10 Weeks Until Caucus — Register Now |

📍 Mantra on Salt Beach, Kingscliff NSW, on the lands of the Coodjingburrra people, on Bundjalung Country
🗓️ Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 August 2026
🎟️ Aboriginal Community Housing Providers and sector leaders from across NSW

The Caucus is our biggest gathering of the year. Two days of connection, learning, and community. More on the program and speakers coming soon. Spots are filling, so don't wait.

Register now at Eventbrite.
https://tinyurl.com/ACHIACaucus

Day 1 at the 8th National Housing and Homelessness Forum |

We're proud to be a sponsor and to attend this year's National Housing and Homelessness Forum in Sydney, on Gadigal Country, where practitioners, thinkers, and people with lived experience are gathering to drive tangible solutions for communities in desperate need.

Lisa Sampson CEO, is presenting and facilitating today, including a session on diversifying income streams to address funding challenges and cultural influences on the housing continuum. Shane T, our Director of Closing the Gap, Policy and Communications, will be moderating two sessions.

"Young people leaving care make up 50% of the number of young people experiencing homelessness." — Paul McDonald, Anglicare Vic. Following on from Sorry Day yesterday, we cannot separate that stat from its context. Child removal has generational consequences, and those consequences show up in our housing system every day. ACCOs must be resourced and empowered to change that.

Stay tuned for more from our team and fellow ACHIA NSW members across the Forum over the next couple of days. 👀

National Sorry Day – 26 May |

Today marks 29 years since the Bringing Them Home report was tabled in Federal Parliament; a landmark document that gave voice to the experiences of Stolen Generations survivors and called on governments to act. We pause to honour those who shared their stories, to acknowledge the deep and lasting pain caused by the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, and to recognise how much work still remains.

We know that a safe, stable, and culturally safe home is inseparable from healing. When Aboriginal families have a secure place to call home, they have the foundation to stay together, to remain connected to culture and Country, and to rebuild what was taken.

The Bringing Them Home report is a call to action we need to continue to answer, through advocacy for Aboriginal-led housing that protects children, strengthens families, and upholds the right to self-determination.

The best time to prepare for NCAT is before you need it.

We are bringing two full days of practical, hands-on NCAT training to Dubbo this June, designed for ACHP staff who want to walk into a tribunal confident, prepared and ready.

📌 Dubbo, NSW on Wiradjuri Country
📅 Wednesday & Thursday, 24-25 June
🕒 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM both days
🎟️ Free for all ACHPs — no AHO registration required

Follow the link below to register or learn more.
https://tinyurl.com/NCAT-Dubbo

Day 2 of the Deadly Housing Summit |

This morning, we were joined by Tony Moran from Yarning Crescent, who spoke about building culturally safe community engagement practices when designing supports.

Jason Smith from Awabakal Ltd joined us to share the organisation's legacy as it approaches its 50-year service milestone. He shared their success with NHIF CT funding, which has enabled the construction of four 3-bedroom homes designed to support Aboriginal women and children escaping family and domestic violence, providing wraparound support through the breadth of services Awabakal offers. Jason also spoke about the importance of listening and building homes that reflect our families' ways and needs.

Connecting with the evolving needs of our families also means catering to those who are downsizing or looking for an affordable start. We were joined by Homes & Granny Flats, who walked us through cost-effective solutions for caring for aging loved ones, supporting younger community members, and reducing overcrowding.

This afternoon, we hosted another Yarning with an SME session and workshopped the sector needs to support our Certificate IV in Social Housing.

We would like to thank all our members for their time and for making the trip to attend. We wish everyone safe travels home.

Strengthening Successful Plans & Building Efficient Support Structures at Deadly Housing Summit #5 |

We’re also grateful to have our SMEs in the room for our Yarning with an SME session. In these sessions, our ACHPs can connect with our speakers and experts to discuss the intricacies of their individual contexts in an informal and welcoming manner.

We celebrated what is needed to write winning grant applications with Laura Harris at Collaborator Consultants. Exploring strategies to demonstrate risk management in your applications, the importance of appropriate and good procurement practices, having a solid business case and compliance measures.

Elizabeth McDonald from Chalk & Behrendt joined us for our final session for day 1, exploring model management and strategies to advocate for rate and other exemptions to local councils.

Welcome to Deadly Housing Summit #5 |

Day one is off to a powerful start on Gadigal Country in Surry Hills.

We opened with a Welcome to Country from Michael West of Metro LALC, who grounded us in the spirit of place and reminded us of the very real inequities still facing our communities and the impact of colonisation as we meet on ground zero.

Professor Louise Crabtree-Hayes and Genevieve Murray from Western Sydney University then guided us through what Community Land Trusts are. Together, we explored how these principles can be adapted and built upon to support the long-term growth and sustainability of Aboriginal communities.

Lisa Marigliano from Homes NSW facilitated a session and some robust conversations on how Aboriginal Community Housing Providers can partner with Homes NSW.

⏰ LAST CALL — Deadly Housing Summit #5 is NEXT WEEK!
Join us 12–13 May on Gadigal Country at Rydges Sydney Central for two days of connecting, capacity building, and strengthening Aboriginal-led housing across NSW.

Here's what's on:

📅 Day 1 — Tuesday 12 May
🏠 Affordable Housing Through Community Land Trusts
🔨 Workshop: What would a CLT look like?
🤝 Partnering with Homes NSW
💬 Yarning with an SME
💰 Successful Funding Applications
📋 Model Management & Rate Exemptions

📅 Day 2 — Wednesday 13 May
💪 Strengthening ACHPs
🎤 Awabakal Ltd Showcase
🏡 Homes & Granny Flats
💬 Yarning with an SME
🎓 CERT IV Social Housing

Don't miss out, register now before it's too late!
👉 Register here: https://bit.ly/DHS-5

Last chance to register for our NCAT Workshop in Tamworth!

If your team is yet to lock in their spot, now is the time. Our two-day hands-on NCAT training is happening this Wednesday and Thursday at Ibis Styles, Tamworth, and we'd love to see you there.

📅 Wednesday & Thursday, 6–7 May
🕘 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM both days

Register now before places close: https://tinyurl.com/NCAT-Tamworth

Gaba Guwaalay – Yarning with ACHIA NSW Monthly Newsletter #64 |
⏰ Time is ticking, our first NCAT Training Session hits Tamworth next week, and Deadly Housing Summit on Gadigal the following week. Register now while spots are still available!

Featured in this issue:
✅ Register Now for our 2026 Events
✅ ACHIA NSW Awards — nominate a champion in our community
✅ Aboriginal Justice Partnership — have your say
✅ HR Legislation changes — Payday Super, Parental Leave & more
✅ AHURI Report — workplace trauma in housing & homelessness
✅ Grants and Job Opportunities

Read the full issue at the link below! tinyurl.com/GabaGuwaalay64
Missed previous issues? Subscribe here: tinyurl.com/ACHIA-Newsletter