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Housing Australia has given the green light to an initial slate of 185 projects under the government’s Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) and National Housing Accord Facility (NHAF), with $9.2 billion committed to deliver more than 13,700 new social and affordable homes throughout the country.
In a statement this week, Housing Australia said this investment marked an important milestone, contributing more than a third to the program’s ambitious five-year target of 40,000 homes.
Selected projects will now proceed to contract negotiations, with Housing Australia expected to notify applicants immediately of the results of the first round of program funding.
Among the notable inclusions are over 4,200 social and affordable homes, with 1,300 specifically designed for women and children fleeing domestic violence and older women facing homelessness. Approximately 700 of these homes are due to be completed within this financial year to offer immediate housing solutions to those in urgent need.
Housing Australia Chair Carol Austin said: “Housing Australia would like to acknowledge the strong response to the first round of funding and the tremendous efforts of those organizations that applied. As a result, this round of funding has the potential to deliver more than 13,700 social and affordable homes across the country, helping more Australians gain access to affordable, safe and secure housing.
“The Housing Australia team is committed to working with applicants to take preferred projects forward, while working with the public housing sector, industry and government to shape future funding rounds and deliver more homes under HAFF and NHAF. “
Also commenting on HAFF’s most significant news to date, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “I grew up in social housing – I know how important a roof over your head is and the opportunities it creates.”
“The first round of funding under our Housing Australia Future Fund will deliver thousands of social and affordable homes across Australia for those who need it most.”
Liberal senator and shadow assistant minister for home ownership Andrew Bragg previously described HAFF as a “failed supply policy”. Labour’s HAFF announcement this week makes it clear that housing is emerging as a key issue in the upcoming election.
HAFF has also recently faced some controversy as the Coalition pushed to change the law governing the initiative to exclude Cbus from participation because of its links to the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Workers Union.
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