Carol Croce - CHFA Executive Director

Carol received a BA in Communications Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA in 1976. After graduation, Carol held a number of positions at the Dane County Welfare Rights Alliance in Madison, Wisconsin starting as a Community Organiser and Grievance Worker in low income neighbourhoods, to Supervisor/Coordinator overseeing the agency’s expansion into neighbouring counties and obtaining secure continued funding.

Carol was the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Nutrition Project, a state-wide advocacy organisation that focused on welfare, hunger and maternal and child health issues affecting low income families. In addition to the overall management of the agency, Carol was responsible for researching and analysing legislative and regulatory issues; developing and maintaining effective working relationships with appropriate government bodies and elected officials; and acting as the organisation’s spokesperson. She appeared regularly before State Legislative Committees and testified on several occasions in Washington, DC before Congressional Committees on welfare and nutrition issues.

In 1991, Carol immigrated with her family to Australia. In 1992, she took up the position of Policy Officer with the Australian Youth Policy and Action Coalition, (AYPAC) the national peak body for young people. She coordinated research, analysis and advice on current youth issues, relevant legislative and regulatory proposals and government policy and developed organisational policy in consultation with AYPAC’s membership.

In 1999, Carol took on a research project with National Shelter to develop a comprehensive policy document on the nexus between housing and employment, the labour market and income support. The paper was developed through an extensive research and consultation process with National Shelter members nationwide as well as academics and other stakeholders (paper has recently been published)

Carol joined Community Housing Federation of Australia (CHFA) as its Executive Director I July 2000. CHFA has been an active player in the emerging affordable housing market. In the last few years CHFA has produced several policies including ‘Building on Success’ and an affordable housing policy to be released in the near future.