Housing Australia has announced the start of its inaugural funding round, inviting applications for financial support from the federal government’s Housing Australia Future Fund Facility (HAFFF) and National Housing Accord Facility (NHAF).
The Call for Applications is open to eligible entities interested in undertaking social and affordable housing projects across the nation.
Over the next five years, the HAFFF aims to facilitate the delivery of 30,000 social and affordable homes, while the NHAF is set to support the construction of 10,000 affordable homes, including those in regional, rural, and remote areas.
Administered by Housing Australia, the programs aim to foster participation in diverse housing projects of all scales throughout Australia.
Designed to attract institutional investment, including superannuation funds, the HAFFF and NHAF programs anticipate accelerating the establishment of a robust asset class in the Australian housing sector.
The initiatives provide opportunities for developers, builders, community housing sectors, and government entities to collaborate on social, affordable, and mixed housing projects. The programs also offer developers a chance to contribute to a project pipeline, continually unlocking new housing supply over the five-year program horizon.
Aligned with the government’s objectives, the programs prioritise supporting specific target groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, women and children affected by domestic violence, older women at risk of homelessness, and frontline workers such as police, nurses, and cleaners.
Eligible entities, including registered not-for-profit community housing providers, local, state, and territory governments, and entities catering to indigenous Australians and Australian Defence Force members, can apply for funding. Consortia, involving eligible entities partnering with private sector parties, are also eligible to apply.
Funding options include availability payments (25-year government-backed payments), concessional loans (zero-interest loans for community housing providers and housing providers), and capital grants (under specific circumstances).
Eligible projects cover the construction of new homes, purchase of newly built homes, renovation of uninhabitable residential dwellings, or conversion of non-residential properties to residential dwellings.
The first funding round’s application deadline is 2 pm (AEDT) on March 22. A virtual information session, on January 18, will provide potential applicants with detailed insights into the programs, funding types, eligibility criteria, evaluation processes, and the application procedure.
For more information about the programs and to register for the Information Session, click here.
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