Report Highlights ESG Progress in Community Housing

Community housing organisations have substantially improved their environmental, social and governance performance, according to the second annual review of Australia's ESG Reporting Standard for the sector. The review, released today by Australian Community Housing, shows reporting quality has improved markedly, with 29 of 41 criteria now receiving complete responses from all organisations – nearly double the 18 criteria that achieved full responses in the first year. Australian Community Housing chair, Rebecca Oelkers, said the results demonstrated genuine progress: "Community housing provides stability and safety for hundreds of thousands of Australians whose needs can't be met by the private rental market. This report shows that positive social and economic impact is compounded by improved performance in sustainability measures that matter to tenants, communities and investors." The review analysed data from 17 community housing organisations managing over 54,000 homes across Australia – about 40 per cent of all social and affordable homes managed by major providers.Governance improvements were particularly notable. The number of organisations with Modern Slavery policies nearly doubled while those with approved Reconciliation Action Plans increased. No organisations faced adverse regulatory findings.Environmental performance showed continued focus on practical measures. Organisations reported ongoing energy efficiency retrofits, solar panel installations and policy development, though carbon emissions reporting remains challenging for many providers.Social performance remained strong, with tenant satisfaction scores between 74-96 per cent and generally low complaint rates. Organisations continued extensive tenant education programmes and partnerships with energy providers to help residents manage utility costs. Ms Oelkers said the standard was helping organisations improve actual performance, not just measurement: "We're seeing energy efficiency programmes that cut tenant bills, governance improvements that strengthen organisations, and better data that helps attract investment." Australian Community Housing is developing version two of the standard following consultation with housing providers, financial institutions and industry partners. The updated standard will be published in October 2025. Adrian Harrington, Chair of the ESG Reporting Standard Interim Governance Group said: "This framework positions community housing as a credible investment option while driving real improvements in how we house Australians. The second-year results show this approach is working. "The evolution of this standard will only make community housing a more attractive asset class to institutional investors." The ESG standard was developed in collaboration with SGS Economics and Planning and RITTERWALD, and launched in March 2023.