The Albanese Government’s Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) continues to build momentum, with Housing Australia now approving more than 5,600 new social and affordable homes across 16 major projects under Round 3.
This marks another significant step towards the Albanese Government’s ambitious commitment to deliver 55,000 social and affordable homes, with the HAFF at the centre of this effort.
More than 8,000 homes are now complete, including more than 2,000 under the HAFF, with a further 22,000 in planning and construction right across the country.
These homes are changing lives – providing safe and secure housing for women and children experiencing domestic violence, helping essential workers live closer to the hospitals and schools where they work, and giving veterans a place to call home.
In Queensland, 73‑year‑old veteran Jim recently moved into his new HAFF‑supported home. He says he has “gone to heaven” and now feels “much more optimistic about the future” after securing an affordable rental.
Importantly, the HAFF is also delivering a significant boost to housing supply, with every social and affordable home supported through the program being newly constructed, rather than drawn from existing housing stock.
Housing Australia is also making significant improvements to its performance and delivery, with decisions being made faster and staff turnover falling.
These improvements follow an independent Capability Assessment, which found that Housing Australia had strengthened its governance, systems, processes and delivery capability over the past 18 months, while managing rapid growth and taking on significant new responsibilities.
New Chair Ms Ann Sherry AO is leading further work to strengthen the organisation with the housing industry and community housing providers recognising the progress being made.
The HAFF is just one part of the Albanese Government’s $47 billion housing plan – focused on building more homes, helping more Australians buy their first home and getting renters a better deal.
And real progress is being made, with more homes under construction across Australia right now than at any time since records began.
Australians deserve a serious plan to tackle housing challenges – not the cuts and chaos offered by the Coalition and One Nation.
This week, the Coalition announced it would cut $4.7 billion from housing if elected, including by scrapping the HAFF, Help to Buy, the New Homes Bonus and Build to Rent incentives.
These cuts would effectively see the Commonwealth walk away from its responsibility to help deliver more homes and make housing more affordable, returning to a decade of neglect where the Coalition Government built only 373 social and affordable homes.
The consequences would be real: fewer homes built, fewer Australians getting into their first home, and less support for people who need safe and secure housing.
Worse still, scrapping the HAFF would put the long‑term security of vulnerable Australians at risk, including those who have already found a safe place to call home through the program.
At a time when Australians need more homes, the Coalition and One Nation want to cut the programs delivering them.
