Housing Associations are incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 1985 and registered under the South Australian Co-operative and Community Housing Act 1991 . They are not-for-profit organisations that are often linked to community based service organisations such as churches or welfare groups, and are managed on behalf of tenants by community volunteers. In some instances housing association management committees have places reserved for tenant participation. New tenants are generally referred to housing associations by health or welfare referral agencies.

Housing associations provide housing for a range of people in the community including special needs groups where it is necessary to provide both housing and other support services.

The essential difference between a housing co-operative and a housing association is that co-operatives are managed by the tenants, whereas housing associations are managed by community volunteers on behalf of tenants. Some organisations may also have paid staff to perform tenant and property management functions.