Case Study

Powerhousing logo

PowerHousing Australia

A fairer go: helping Community Housing Providers support people in need of social and affordable housing.

PowerHousing Australia strengthens collaboration amongst Community Housing Providers (CHPs), government and the private sector to increase the supply of affordable housing. PowerHousing Australia’s structured program of member exchange is a vital forum to gather national and global perspectives. PowerHousing’s members share, and shape ideas to house more Australians. This includes sharing ideas to influence policy, to improve operations, and to improve lives through the provision of affordable housing and support services. 

Support provided by Three Chairs Consulting

PowerHousing Australia entered into an affiliate partnership with Three Chairs Consulting in 2019 as part of a program of work to implement an ambitious business and succession planning agenda. 

Using her experience in strategy and transformation, Melanie Bois, Three Chairs Director, worked closely with PowerHousing Australia’s CEO and leadership team to review governance and strategy. As part of the work Melanie led strategy workshops culminating in a strategy presentation to the Board, senior leadership team, and PHA’s members. Following their initial review, Three Chairs Consulting also undertook essential capacity and capability research, delivering a forward-thinking strategy to PowerHousing Australia in 2021. 

PowerHousing Australia CEO Nicholas Proud praised Three Chairs for their “understanding of the complex issues relevant to our sector, and their agility in rendering assistance to achieve a high quality outcome within tight timeframes.”

“In the not-for-profit space, there are times when the brief isn’t always what you think it will be. For Three Chairs to be able to pick up and run with an issue and come to a place where they could provide targeted and strategic advice was extremely helpful”. 

Outcomes

An affiliate partnership has enabled Three Chairs Consulting to assist PowerHousing Australia to drive their agenda of support for not-for-profit Community Housing Providers. 

PowerHousing Australia credits Three Chairs for: 

  • facilitating better outcomes in policy and member exchange, which in turn has delivered benefits for CHPs and residents of social and affordable housing.
  • streamlining communication to the Board through clear and consistent messaging. 
  • improving communication processes between CHPs and their sector affiliates.
  • enhancing PowerHousing Australia’s leadership and strategic planning capabilities. 
  • creating meaningful online networking opportunities through ‘The CEO Conversation’ series, initiated by Cathy Singleton.

“There is a level of trust that we share with the team at Three Chairs,” says Nicholas Proud.

“This instilled confidence when progressing through a significant program of work. It was good to feel supported as a partner, rather than as a client, giving myself and my colleagues trust in a successful outcome.”

Melanie Bois agrees. “We are passionate about this sector. People need access to safe and affordable homes – our alignment of values is strong, and PowerHousing Australia has placed great trust in us to deliver a quality outcome in terms of strategy facilitation, documentation, and presentation.” 

Nicholas was appreciative of Three Chairs’ capacity “to be nimble, and assist strategically to manage complex tasks.” The flexibility of the team when working with PowerHousing Australia enabled them “to land where we needed to go. Three Chairs has enabled us to successfully navigate the challenges presented by bringing disparate groups to a consensus.” 

“As an affiliate partner, Three Chairs brings a high level of expertise and understanding which has been of great assistance to Community Housing Providers, allowing us to provide the essential infrastructure that is critical to facilitate a productive exchange between members, where the ultimate beneficiaries are people in need of social and affordable housing.”

Find out more about the great work that PowerHousing Australia does.