SWISH manages 656 properties housing 1300 families - 288 propertioes leased from the private rental market, 244 properties leased from the Department of Housing and 95 properties managed through a fee for service program on behalf of other organisations.

The demutualisation proposal was first announced at SWISH's 2007 Annual General Meeting.

The SWISH directors argue that converting from a co-operative to a company limited by guarantee will advantage SWISH by

1. Enabling SWISH to provide more housing to meet housing need.
The NSW state government’s growth strategy for housing associations NSW Planning for the Future: Community Housing www.housing.nsw.gov.au foresees the sector growing from 15,000 to 30,000 dwellings over ten years. Most of this growth will go to designated growth provider housing associations. SWISH has successfully attained growth provider status and growth providers are required to be incorporated as a company limited by guarantee. Beyond the requirement by the Office of Community Housing, the other major benefit is the partnerships with private sector to deliver affordable housing.

2. Developing partnerships to meet housing need
In the future it is expected that community housing sector will expand through partnership with the private sector, for example, the Federal government has announced the National Affordable Rental Scheme. The success of this scheme depends on the injection of private sector funds. The private sector is more familiar with the company structures and regulation of such entities. Companies are regulated federally by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (www.asic.gov.au) which is responsible for administering the Corporations Act.

SWISH
http://www.swish.org.au