Abstract

In this seminar Kim presents policy insights from the Aboriginal housing sector drawn from her experience with an Aboriginal organisation providing housing services in New South Wales. 
SEARMS (South Eastern Aboriginal Regional Management Service) began in 2003 as a co-operative that included six Local Aboriginal Land Councils. It was one of 3 pilot sites for a Regional Management Model under the Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO), a statutory office of the NSW Government. In 2011, SEARMS changed its structure to a corporation under the Commonwealth’s CATSI Act as part of moving to a skills-based board and a broader governance framework. 
SEARMS operates under cultural, community and family orientated principles and has for almost two decades now been providing housing and support for the Aboriginal community through a number of property portfolios throughout south east NSW.
In 2019 SEARMS continues to play an integral part in the supply and development of Aboriginal housing opportunities in New South Wales, which includes aligning our strategic plan to the Aboriginal Housing Office (NSW) 2018-2028 housing strategy.  A component of this strategy is the transitioning of Aboriginal Community Housing Providers (ACHPs) from accreditation under the AHO’s Provider Assessment Registration Scheme (PARS) to the National Regulatory System for Community Housing Providers (NRSCH) by 2022. NRSCH registration is critical to plans for SEARMS (and the Aboriginal housing sector at large) to grow, as many tender/grant/management opportunities require NRSCH registration as a threshold criteria. 
Kim will be discussing the policy challenges encountered during this change process and the impact on SEARMS’ cultural principles, business model and service delivery.

Biography 

Kim Sinclair is Chief Executive Officer of SEARMS Aboriginal Corporation located in Batemans Bay. Prior to joining SEARMS as CEO in 2018 Kim had over ten years’ experience in other parts of the Community Housing sector at a senior level. This included gaining and maintaining accreditation of Canberra’s only locally based NRSCH Tier 1 affordable housing provider/developer from 2008 to 2017, and a gap year as interim CEO for a boutique Supported Independent Living provider (under the National Disability Insurance Scheme).  Kim recently graduated from the ANU’s Master of Business Administration program.