1 January – 31 December 2025
Introduction
Housing Australia continues to play a critical role in unlocking housing supply across the country, as highlighted in the National Housing Infrastructure Facility (NHIF) Review 2025.
This review presents findings from the review of the NHIF financing function for the period 1 January to 31 December 2025. It covers programs delivered as HAFF - Social and Affordable, HAFF - Crisis and Transitional and Housing Australia Critical Infrastructure.
These programs provide concessional finance to accelerate delivery of social and affordable housing, crisis and transitional accommodation and the enabling infrastructure required to support new housing supply.
Overview
Housing Australia administers the HAFF – Social and Affordable, HAFF – Crisis and Transitional and Housing Australia Critical Infrastructure programs under the Housing Australia Act 2018 and the Housing Australia Investment Mandate 2018 (Investment Mandate).
The National Housing Infrastructure Facility (NHIF) – now presented as Housing Australia Critical Infrastructure – was established in July 2018 as a $1 billion facility to address a key barrier to new housing supply: the absence of essential enabling infrastructure, such as sewerage, roads, utilities and site remediation. It was designed to unlock land and bring forward housing delivery by providing concessional loans and grants for critical infrastructure, with a focus on affordable housing outcomes.
In November 2022 the Investment Mandate was amended to broaden the remit to include direct financing of HAFF – Social and Affordable projects. This recognised that both infrastructure constraints and project viability challenges were limiting new supply, and that Commonwealth concessional finance could support a more efficient housing pipeline.
As part of the 2023–24 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, the Government announced an additional $1 billion to expand the facility. The 2024–25 Budget confirmed this funding would target crisis and transitional accommodation for women and children experiencing domestic and family violence and for youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
In December 2024, the Investment Mandate was amended to establish HAFF – Crisis and Transitional, comprising $700 million in grants and $300 million in concessional loans. The program commenced on 6 March 2025, supported by published Program Guidelines.
Highlights (as at 31 December 2025)
- $806.3 million committed, supporting land development and the delivery of more than 11,000 homes nationwide across social, affordable, crisis and transitional and housing.
- Record approval activity, with 36 projects approved for funding in 2025 – the highest annual volume since program inception. This included:
- 29 HAFF – Crisis and Transitional projects
- 5 HAFF – Social and Affordable projects, and
- 2 Housing Australia Critical infrastructure projects.
- Strong support for priority cohorts, with 2025 approvals expected to deliver around 3,709 dwellings, including:
- 3,104 dwellings enabled through critical infrastructure
- 347 social and affordable homes, and
- 258 crisis and transitional homes.
- Diverse and innovative delivery models, including core-and-cluster, independent living youth foyers, refuge-based models, reflecting trauma-informed approaches tailored to different needs.
- Well-distributed funding, with $353.4 million approved in loans and grants during 2025, including $188.2 million in grants and $165.2 million in concessional loans. This is the second consecutive year approvals exceeded $300 million.
- Broad geographic coverage with projects approved across New South Wales, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania.
Project Profiles
Housing Australia has approved $90 million in Housing Australia Critical Infrastructure funding, under the LAHC umbrella facility - comprising a $72 million concessional loan and an $18 million grant - to support the delivery of 3,104 new homes within the Waterloo South precinct.
Wirra Mikangka demonstrates how a partnership funding model can bring forward well-located, high-quality homes close to transport, services and employment. Known to Housing Australia since 2021, the project is now progressing with support from the HAFF - Social and Affordable program.
In August 2025, Housing Australia approved $13.4 million in HAFF - Crisis and Transitional funding across two projects to deliver 30 self-contained studios for young people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness in South Australia. The funding supports Junction and Women's Housing Ltd to expand the successful Tiny Homes model and establish a second campus in Adelaide's North.