Housing Australia is calling for applications for the First Funding Round under the Federal Government's Housing Australia Future Fund Facility (HAFFF) and National Housing Accord Facility (NHAF) for eligible social and affordable housing projects. Housing Australia is administering the HAFFF and NHAF programs.
Over a five-year period, the HAFFF will support delivery of 20,000 social and 10,000 affordable homes, and the NHAF will support delivery of 10,000 affordable homes across the country.
It is anticipated that there will be multiple HAFFF and NHAF funding rounds over the next five years. Applicants who are unsuccessful or do not participate in Funding Round One are encouraged to participate in future funding rounds.
How to apply?
For information about the HAFFF and NHAF program, including Factsheets and Frequently Asked Questions, please visit the Housing Australia website.
To access the Call for Applications documents, and for details on the application and assessment process please visit the Housing Australia website.
To apply for funding, applicants will need to lodge their funding applications via the Housing Australia Portal (HAP) before 2:00pm (AEDT), on Friday 22 March 2024.
Who can apply for funding?
Eligible applicants are States and Territories, local governing bodies, registered charitable Community Housing Providers; and registered charitable entities with a primary purpose of improving housing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people or members and former members of the Australian Defence Force.
Also, special purpose vehicles are also eligible, if membership includes one of the above entities but may also include developers, financiers, sponsors and other entities.
What type of funding is available?
Funding is available to support social and affordable housing delivery and availability through 25-year Availability Payments for eligible applicants. For eligible registered charitable applicants Concessional Loans (25-year zero interest plus any Development Phase where applicable) are available. Housing Australia may also provide Upfront Capital Grants in some exceptional circumstances.
What projects are eligible for funding?
Housing Australia is seeking applications for funding to support the delivery of social and affordable housing. This can include the construction of new homes; purchase of newly built homes; renovation of existing residential dwellings that were otherwise uninhabitable, or conversion of non-residential properties to residential dwellings.
For Applications to be eligible for the First Funding Round, the proposed dwellings need to be either completed, under construction, or capable of starting construction within 18 months.
Information session
Housing Australia is hosting a virtual information session about the HAFFF and NHAF on 18 January 2024.
The session will provide an overview of the HAFFF and NHAF, including detailed information about the types of funding available, eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria and application process.
To register to attend the information session, click here.
Funding Documents consultation
On 19 December 2023 Housing Australia released the HAFFF and NHAF draft Funding Documents for consultation. Details are available here.
The consultation period for feedback to be provided ends on 22 January 2024. Housing Australia will make the final Funding Documents available in February 2024 in the Housing Australia Portal, as part of the HAFFF and NHAF application process.
