This first report of an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Reporting Standard (the Standard) for Australian community housing organisations has revealed significant progress in sustainability practices among early adopters. It provides evidence to investors and other stakeholders of the sector’s sustainability credentials. 

The community housing sector is well into its transition from a cottage industry to a major player in the Australian housing system. It is not unrealistic to imagine that within three decades, 1 in 7 Australians will be living in community housing. A sector of this weight in the Australian economy and society will need to manage and report on a range of risks to gather consistent support from investors and retain credibility with community and policymakers.

This report covers: 

• background to the initiative
• recent developments in community housing financing and the opportunity to scale institutional investment in Australian social and affordable housing
• results from the first annual compilation of adopters’ ESG data
• what lies ahead for the Standard,