Position Objective:

Grounded in the principal of housing affordability and equity, this exciting and emergent role will drive the development and activation of affordable housing models that provide stable and secure housing for those who may otherwise be excluded from the traditional Australian housing market.

This role will research and progress practical affordable housing models appropriate to the Northern Rivers LGAs and communities, as well as resources (finance, funding, philanthropy) to make them happen.

The Housing Convenor role will work collaboratively with key stakeholders, including developers and builders; Northern Rivers Councils; NSW Government; impact investors and philanthropists; housing trust networks; research institutes and the community sector. They will identify opportunities to pilot and scale innovative housing models for individuals and families experiencing housing stress.

Building on the success of NRCF’s involvement in the Byron Shire Community Land Trust, this role will explore whether similar opportunities exist in other areas of the Northern Rivers and participate in the nascent Community Land Trust movement within Australia.

The Housing Convenor will work autonomously but will collaborate closely with the Community Impact Manager to ensure activities and outcomes align with NRCF impact framework and regional need.

Success for the position would be as from the four areas of Key Responsibilities below:

Key responsibilities and deliverables:

1. Research

• Research and analyse housing strategies and planning frameworks across the seven Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the Northern Rivers.
• Investigate innovative development and ownership models, with a focus on Housing and Land Trusts, that could be replicated in the Northern Rivers region.
• Stay updated with the latest research on Community Land Trusts and other transformative housing models and incorporate best practices locally.
• Participate and contribute to the development of knowledge on Community Land Trusts within the Australian regional context.

2. Collaboration & Leadership

• Take a leadership role in the Northern Rivers on Community Land/Housing Trusts, including documenting and disseminating lessons learned from the Byron Community Lands Trust as it develops.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with a range of partners across government, industry and philanthropy.
• Work collaboratively with locally initiatives such as End Rough Sleeping Collaboration (Byron Shire) and Zero Homeless (Northern Rivers)

3. Model Development and Delivery

• Investigate and deliver solutions for innovative, locally appropriate and affordable housing to support low- and medium-income earners.
• Broker or pitch for finance, funding, or philanthropic support for the community to deliver on these solutions.

4. Program Delivery

• Develop a program of work to maximise real outcomes over the project term
• Manage a small brokerage fund to support promising ideas and initiatives that address local housing and homelessness, including through “seed funding”.
• Produce high-quality research, reporting, and content.
• Deliver influential presentations supporting advocacy or seeking of finance/funding sources.
• Organise and deliver forums to promote innovative housing and land trust models.

Your skills & attributes:

• Demonstrated experience in the planning, development, construction, and/or housing sectors.
• An understanding of Australia’s housing system and key barriers and enablers to housing affordability.
• A commitment to the principles of housing justice and ability to think outside the box to solve systemic challenges to housing access and affordability.
• Confident gathering, analysing, interpreting and delivering data research projects
• Knowledge, or capacity to develop knowledge, of state and local planning regulations.
• An established professional network of people working to address housing challenge facing the Northern Rivers
• Exceptional communication skills; both written & verbal
• Confidence in outreach and engagement with a variety of people
• Ability to work autonomously & collaboratively within a small team
• Passionate about representing community voices and creating positive change
• Flexibility to travel around the region occasionally

We expect members of the Northern Rivers Community Foundation team, to:

• Demonstrate Northern Rivers Community Foundation vision and values in your daily work
• Take a proactive role in promoting equality and anti-discriminatory practice
• Be aware that you have a duty of care for the health and safety of yourself and others.

Salary and hours:

Due to the innovative and emergent nature of this role, NRCF will negotiate salary and hours based on the successful candidates’ professional experience, availability, and expectations. Applicants should note that the salary will be in line with those typical of not-for-profit organisations.

NRCF is open to candidates who are available to work between 0.4 FTE – 0.8 FTE (between 2 and four days per week). It may be that the successful applicant holds another contract or part-time position in the development, planning, or housing sector. Applicants should outline their desired work arrangement as part of their application.

Achieving results in this role will require excellent relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and the tenacity to navigate complex systems. For this reason, we are seeking candidates who are committed to remaining in the role for a period of at least three years.

NRCF has an office based in Clunes, NSW. Hybrid work arrangements are negotiable, however NRCF places a strong value on time spent together as a team and the successful candidate must be willing to work from the office at least some of the time.

To arrange a time to discuss the role more, please text or call Sam Henderson on 0413 131 175.

A position description is attached.