HOW CAN COMMUNITY HOUSING FLOURISH UNDER VICTORIA’S BIG HOUSING BUILD?
Community Housing Industry of Australia (Vic): Design, Website
Every Victorian deserves a place to call home.
The Big Housing Build is a $5.3b program to deliver social and affordable housing to Victorians. CHIA Vic is the peak community housing organisation in Victoria, to set up for success during the build they needed a new website and way to bring government, developers and housing orgs together.
Come together right now
A successful community housing sector looks like housing organisations, developers and government working hand in hand to meet our community needs. To date that works only sometimes and only sometimes well. CHIA Vic is determined to bring each of those groups together, to better understand how each works and what their needs are and ultimately nurture a more vibrant sector. The Big Housing Build in Victoria is that chance.
The site became a home for starting projects together.
You don’t know what you don’t know
Holding interviews with sector participants was revealing for the amount that wasn’t known beyond the organisations they worked for. Officers in government and community housing knew their roles and organisations well but little about what other members of the sector did in truth. Developers we spoke to knew even less though they were keen to learn more. After some consideration we felt there was a place for a meeting place for each group and CHIA Vic could nurture this.
Research showed few people in the sector knew what others were working on.
The existing branding was given a new life
“Everyone in the sector wants to be part of great projects, and they happen, but sometimes we don’t celebrate or share them like we could.”
— Jess Pomeroy, Policy & Projects, CHIA Vic
Let’s let some air in
The CHIA Vic branding we were handed for use was functional but not exactly inspiring or dynamic and in line with their hopes for the sector. With a bit of a re-think we were able to keep some of the key elements and add a little to it for this project. Allowing a little more space and for use of some more character in type selections for the site meant we were able to stay true to brand thinking while finding a new way to express it for now.
It’s the brand, but not as we know it.
The more we work together the better it works
Consideration was given to a connection service for the sector as a way to bridge some of the gaps in knowledge and networks. As a halfway step toward that we introduced events, projects in progress and a sector overview into the site with some candid insights. Uptake for the new resources has been good with feedback to CHIA Vic post-launch warm and interested. Combined with regular briefings, events for all and outreach by CHIA Vic the sector is on its way to finding a new accord all can live and work with.
Resources for everyday use, not just information.
The site launched in late 2021
Skills, people and details
Warren Davies
Project Manager, Senior Strategist
Amber Goedegebuure
Design Director
Owen Davey
Senior Developer
Ashleigh Reynolds
Designer
Chris King
Copywiter
Services
User Experience and User Interface Design, Digital Development
SDGs
Sustainable Cities and Communities (#11)
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