Housing Australia said last week it has entered into 29 funding agreements with preferred applicants, supporting the delivery of 2,107 social and affordable homes, but none have commenced construction.
Under Round One of the Housing Australia Future Fund Facility and the National Housing Accord Facility the preferred applicants must now negotiate with a range of stakeholders such as builders, developers, financiers and planning authorities, and report before 30 June 2025.
The Prime Minister first announced the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund in June of 2023, promising it would deliver funding to build 30,000 affordable homes within its first five years.
Last month in Senate Estimates it became clear not one new home had been built under the Housing Australia Future Fund. Finance Minister, Katy Gallagher said the 340 homes built had been “acquired and converted” under the HAFF from existing builders. In other words, while available under the scheme, they were not new homes that would not have otherwise been built.
Housing Australia also stated last week more than 400 homes have been completed across projects with a signed funding agreement and in the pipeline of preferred projects, with some already occupied by eligible social and affordable housing tenants.
