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Glossary of Terms

Below are a few frequently encountered terms that may be found in CEHL collateral materials and on our website.

Term	Description
Accessible design	Content design process in which the needs of people with disabilities are specifically considered; incorporating building features, products, services, and facilities to allow people with disabilities to function independently.
Active membership	A requirement under the Co-operatives Act that all members participate in their co‐operative.
Adaptable design	Adaptable design includes design features that can easily be adapted at a later date to flex with the changing needs and abilities of the occupants.
Affordability benchmark	A rental affordability benchmark provides a rent that does not impose an unreasonable burden on household income. The rent model uses an affordability benchmark that sets a maximum percentage of income that a household pays in rent, ensuring that rent remains affordable to lower income households.
Appropriate alternative accommodation	An offer which is consistent with the household composition and within a reasonable distance of the household’s existing property location.
Asset management	Is understood to include all stages of the asset life cycle, commonly known as acquisition, development, maintenance, upgrade or renewal, and divestment.
Breach of duty	A breach of duty occurs when one person or company has a duty of care toward another person or company, but fails to live up to that standard. A person may be liable for negligence in a personal injury case if his breach of duty caused another person’s injuries
Complaint	A complaint is registered expression of dissatisfaction with any service delivered, action taken or decision made by CEHL or a co-op related to tenancy and housing issues.
Co-op member	Anyone listed on a Register of Members held by a cooperative that has entered into a CCA with CEHL (whether the co-op operates as a CERC or a CMC).
Critical incident	An incident which caused or had the likelihood to cause, death or injury (including minor to major, physical and mental injuries and ‘near misses’ that could have caused injury); cause significant expenditure or insurance claim for loss or damage of property or equipment; and or, involves criminal injury and/or criminal damage. Critical Incidents must be reported to CEHL and a report may be required by DHHS.
ESD	Environmentally Sustainable Design endeavours to reduce the impacts of the construction and use of buildings on the natural environment, in addition to improving the comfort of inhabitants as well as reducing energy consumption.
Essential maintenance	The minimum amount of maintenance expenditure required to manage the residual risk at the property, meet statutory obligations and ensure an appropriate outcome for the occupant household.
Gross income	Income before any income tax has been deducted.
Health information	Includes personal information about a person’s current or previous health or disability, or about their expressed wishes for future provision of health services to them, or about a health service provided or to be provided to them.
Main gross income	Broadly includes wages, salary, interest and income support payments received by the household. It does not include supplementary payments, allowances and benefits such as family payments. See the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) guidelines for further details. For all other definitions relating to this policy, please refer to the Program Glossary.
Market valuation	The estimated amount for which an asset should exchange on the date of valuation between a willing buyer and a willing seller in an arm’s length transaction, after proper marketing, wherein the parties had each acted knowledgeably, prudently and without compulsion.
Marriage-like relationship	A couple relationship is defined as two people usually residing in the same household who share a social, economic and emotional bond usually associated with marriage and who consider their relationship to be a marriage or marriage-like union. This relationship is identified by the presence of a registered marriage or de facto marriage
Member	A member of a co-operative, with all associated rights and responsibilities.
Non referred tenant	A tenant who has not come through the CEHL approved referral process and/or has not been a co-op member at any point

Term	Description
Personal information	Means any information that can be connected to an identity, including names and addresses, other personal details, and information and opinions about a person.
Possession order	If a tenant or resident has been given the appropriate notice to vacate a property, rooming house (a building where one or more rooms are available to rent, and four or more people in total can occupy those rooms), caravan park or site under site agreement, and has not left by the end of the due date, the landlord or owner can apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for an Order for Possession. This order may instruct the tenant or resident to vacate. It may also allow the landlord to obtain a warrant, which may then be executed by Victoria Police to evict the tenant or resident.
Principles of Natural Justice	All sides of an argument should be given a fair opportunity to be heard before a decision is made The decision maker must not have predetermined the matter or be perceived as having predetermined the matter.
Property assets	In relation to CEHL typical operations include: land, dwellings, outbuildings, offices and fixtures and, in some instances, chattels (such as household appliances). Other types of property assets not mentioned, such as commercial properties, may form part of the property portfolio at a future date and are covered by this policy unless otherwise determined.
Property assets decision making model	This is the endorsed approach to making decisions about property assets.
Reasonable	The term reasonable is a generic and relative one and applies to that which is appropriate for a particular situation. In the law of Negligence, the reasonable person standard is the standard of care that a reasonably prudent person would observe under a given set of circumstances.
Referral list	A list of candidates seeking membership of a co-operative and allocation or transfer of housing within the model sent to a co‐op when a vacancy occurs. The list is generated from the central referral database managed by CEHL. Co‐ops invite candidates from this list for interview and may offer membership and housing only to people from this list.
Rent model	The rent model is the collection of considerations used to determine household rent.
Sensitive information	Includes: health information; personal information about a person’s race or ethnicity, political opinions or affiliation, religious beliefs or affiliation, membership of a trade union or professional association, sexual orientation or practices, or genetic or biometric information
Unhoused member	Members of a co-operative who do not currently reside within a CEHL co-op property and are awaiting accommodation to be allocated .
Uninhabitable	Means not fit for human habitation because the property is dangerous or detrimental to life or health.
Value	Can be tangible or intangible, financial or non-financial, and includes consideration of risks and liabilities. It can be positive or negative at different stages of the asset life.
Vic‐Wide housing	A portfolio of CEHL properties that are managed directly by CEHL without involvement of a co-operative.
Visitable design	Designing and building which includes a basic level of accessibility for everyone; so that it can be visited by people who have trouble with steps or who use wheelchairs or walkers.
Warrant of possession	This is a Court order allowing the rental provider to regain control of the property.

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A housing co-operative is a community of people who work together to meet their housing needs.

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