The Albanese Government is announcing a new partnership with States and Territories to deliver up to 5,000 new social homes under a fast‑track Round 2 of Labor’s Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF).
This partnership is expected to unlock up to $3 billion in new investment in social housing across Australia, creating thousands of new construction jobs.
Minister O’Neil will launch the partnership tomorrow at the Housing and ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lessness Ministerial Council with State and Territory Housing Ministers.
With Australians doing it tough, this partnership will support thousands of Australians to get into social housing, helping reduce homelessness and taking pressure off rents.
These 5,000 homes are part of the Albanese Government’s pipeline of 55,000 social and affordable homes and the Government’s $32 billion housing agenda – the most ambitious housing agenda from a Commonwealth Government in decades.
It builds on the enormous success of Round 1 of the HAFF announced on 16 September 2024, which will deliver up to 13,700 homes. Round 1 alone will deliver more social and affordable homes than what was delivered during the entire period of the former Coalition Government.
This funding round sets clear parameters to deliver more social homes, more quickly:
- This funding round seeks to partner with States and Territories who can contribute alongside HAFF funding to rapidly deliver social housing, for example by offering up new land.
- States and Territories will also be strongly encouraged to partner with community housing providers and will be required to show that the projects add to new social housing stock.
- Funding will be allocated fairly across States and Territories but will be offered on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis.
This partnership will work to an accelerated timeframe, with applications open this week for States and Territories to submit projects. The round will close at the end of January with decisions to be made shortly after.
The Government will also be expediting Round 3 of the Housing Australia Future Fund, with consultation to commence early next year and applications to open mid next year as part of a streamlined open competitive process.
The Government has asked Housing Australia to set up a working group with community housing peak organisations to facilitate engagement with the sector.
Despite the delays in the Parliament, Labor’s Housing Australia Future Fund is now moving at pace, with thousands of social and affordable homes in the pipeline and more to come.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Housing and ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lessness, Clare O’Neil MP
“This a great new partnership with states and territories that is going to fast‑track 5000 new social homes, because the way out of this housing crisis is to build, build, build.
“While we’re working with states, territories and industry to bring tens of thousands of homes online as quickly as possible, Peter Dutton is promising to scrap Labor’s housing fund and the 30,000 homes that come with it.”
“This partnership is about building thousands of homes quickly, and it’s one part of Labor’s ambitious plan to build more houses right across Australia, making housing more abundant and affordable.”
