National Committee for Housing Information

The National Committee for Housing Information (NCHI) guides the AIHW's housing assistance work program. This committee is ultimately accountable to Housing Ministers' but reports directly to the Policy Research Working Group. The NCHI is responsible for the development and management of housing assistance data as outlined in the National Housing Data Agreement and the Agreement on National Indigenous Housing Information. The AIHW fulfils the Secretariat role for this committee. The committee was established in October 2006 following the disbanding of three national housing data groups and its associated sub-committees. The three data groups were the National Housing Data Management Group (NHDAMG), the National Indigenous Housing Information Implementation Committee (NIHIIC) and the National Housing Data Development Committee (NHDDC).

Aims of the National Committee for Housing Information:

• To meet the aims and objectives of the National Housing Data Agreement and the Agreement on National Indigenous Housing Information (ANIHI) and to respond to data resolutions made by Housing Ministers and HMAC.
• To develop and manage national housing data collections.
• To ensure that the national mainstream and Indigenous housing data collections are consistent and compatible.
• To improve the quality of the national housing data.
• To improve access to the national housing data while protecting the confidentiality of the data.

The role of the committee is to:

• Continue to implement the NHDA and the ANIHI which form the basis of the annual work plan.
• Oversee the national housing assistance data collections and national housing minimum datasets.
• Develop, implement and endorse the national data definitions and standards for the national housing assistance data.
• Develop and implement an annual work plan for improving the national mainstream and Indigenous housing assistance data.
• Oversee the funding provided for the national housing assistance data work.
• Establish and oversee technical working groups, as required, to implement the annual work plan.
• Provide clearance for the release and publication of data from the national housing assistance data collections.
• Make recommendations and respond to PRWG and SCIH on national housing information priorities and their funding implications.
• Lead the development of a national performance reporting framework based on the outcomes of the next CSHA or its replacement.
• Lead the development of the replacement data agreement (s), if required.

Membership

Membership of the committee comprises representatives of the parties who are signatories to the NHDA and ANIHI. The following jurisdictions have one representative:

• Aboriginal Housing Office (New South Wales)
• Australian Bureau of Statistics
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
• Department of Local Government, Housing & Sport (Northern Territory)
• Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services (Australian Capital Territory)
• Department for Families and Communities (South Australia)
• Department of Health and Human Services (Tasmania)
• Department of Housing (New South Wales)
• Department of Housing (Queensland)
• Department of Housing and Works (Western Australia)
• Department of Human Services, Office of Housing (Victoria)
• Torres Strait Regional Authority

The Department of Family and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (Australian Government) has two representatives on the committee, as both the Department and former ATSIC were signatories to the data agreements. The Chair of the Committee is appointed by HMAC and is a member of PRWG. The initial Chair of the Committee is Victoria. The AIHW provides secretariat and administrative support to the committee.

NCHI meetings for 2008

• 19 March (Canberra)

Chair

    Mr Rob Jenkins

Further information

For further information, please contact the Secretariat:

Executive Unit and Committee Secretariat
AIHW
GPO Box 570
Canberra ACT 2601

Tel 02 6244 1241
Fax 02 6244 1111