Community Housing Workforce Survey
This resource is for CHIA Vic members
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Log inOur Workforce Survey closed in April 2026, providing valuable insights into people’s experiences of working in community housing and how we can better support the sector’s workforce.
We received responses from 167 staff and 15 member organisations, which is around 20% of our membership. The findings give us a good starting point for discussion, rather than a complete picture of the Victorian workforce.
Key takeaways for members include:
• 92% selected socially impactful work as a reason they joined community housing.
• 78% were satisfied in their current role, and 89% said they felt supported by their manager.
• 71% said clearer progression and development pathways were an area for improvement.
What respondents said:
Job purpose and satisfaction
For the majority of staff (92%) social impact was a key reason for working in community housing. Most were satisfied in their current role (78%), and 89% said they felt supported by their manager. Team members (56% of respondents) reported higher satisfaction rates (81%) than the 44% of respondents in leadership roles, who had a satisfaction rate of 74%. Yet fewer team members expected to stay in community housing for at least five years (36% compared with 47% for senior roles).
Experience and career paths
More than half of staff respondents had worked in community housing for at least five years, while around a third had been with their current organisation that long. Almost half could see a career path with their current employer. A further 20% could see one elsewhere in the sector, and 21% were unsure. When asked where the sector could improve, 71% selected clearer progression and development pathways.
Workload
Workload was the most commonly selected source of dissatisfaction (34%) among staff respondents, ahead of organisational culture and pay. Organisational respondents also named stress and burnout among the reasons people leave.
CHIA Vic training
Of staff respondents who had attended CHIA Vic training, 77% were satisfied with it. They valued trainers who knew the sector and content that was relevant to their roles. Some experienced staff asked for more advanced, practical learning, particularly on Victorian tenancy law and VCAT. CHIA Vic now offers advanced Residential Tenancies Act and VCAT topics in our program.