Following a round two funding commitment of $991 million by the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF), Victoria will add 1,275 new social homes across the State, making available more affordable housing for people who desperately need it.

Housing Australia’s announcement has been welcomed by Community Housing Industry Association Victoria (CHIA Vic), Victoria’s peak body for community housing. Jointly funded by the Commonwealth and State Governments, the new social homes will be delivered in Victoria across 25 projects, including more than 100 homes for Aboriginal Victorians.

“As the housing crisis continues to bite, it’s heartening to see state and federal governments working together to provide the urgent financial support needed to build more social homes," says CHIA Vic spokesperson Jess Pomeroy.

According to Pomeroy, Victoria has received the highest amount of investment at $4.3 billion across the two rounds, which will deliver 5,418 social and affordable homes, the most of any state or territory.

“This represents more than 30% of the total funding pool and almost 30% of all homes,” she adds.

However, Victoria still needs far more investment to meet the crushing demand for social housing and undo the impacts of years of underinvestment, Pomeroy observes.

“Waiting lists for social housing continue to grow, and currently 146,000 families and individuals need a rent-capped home they can actually afford.

“Recent data shows that Victoria needs 80,000 new homes over the next 10 years to reach a minimum target of 4.5% social housing, which is the national average. Currently, Victoria is sitting at the bottom of the league table at 2.9%, which means we have a substantial way to go.

“Our charitable sector has the experience to deliver the social homes that Victorians need. The scale of Victoria’s HAFF projects demonstrates the community housing sector’s capacity to build, deliver, and manage more affordable homes for people in need.”

Image: New homes in Wangaratta bring much-needed affordable housing to regional Victoria | Image credti: Beyond Housing (Source: CHIA Vic)

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