Home Residential Development Council $500m Housing Support Program launches

$500m Housing Support Program launches

  • April 03, 2024
  • by Property Australia
Housing Minister Julie Collins

The Australian Government’s $500 million Housing Support Program is now open for applications from state, territory and local governments for projects that will boost the planning required to increase housing supply.

Stream 1 is for projects that aim to build the planning workforce and capability to improve the efficiency of the planning process so that housing construction can start sooner.

These could be new pathways for planners and related professions to enter the industry, or tools to streamline planning systems and improve decision‑making efficiency.

Projects could also look at sharing resources between local governments or supporting master planning and planning reform.

Projects must demonstrate how they will align with planning, zoning and regulatory reforms agreed through National Cabinet’s National Planning Reform Blueprint, land‑use planning for disaster resilience and the aims of the National Housing Accord.

Minister for Housing, Homelessness and Small Business, Julie Collins said the Housing Support Program is a critical part of the government’s housing agenda. 

“I urge all councils and state and territory governments to submit their projects so we can work together to get more homes on the ground, faster.

“Our ambitious housing reform agenda is working across the board – more help for renters, more help for homebuyers and more help for Australians needing a safe place for the night.”

Property Council Chief Executive Mike Zorbas said doubling the funds available in the program will better support the government’s 1.2 million new homes goal.

“We have to do everything we can to reach the national housing goal. We simply cannot afford another swing and a miss,” Mr Zorbas said.

“We need to disrupt decades of undersupply by providing incentives that no state or local political leader can walk past.

“We know unresponsive planning systems across the country are the biggest barrier to housing supply and affordability, so any initiative to streamline these processes is welcome.

“As the Commonwealth Productivity Commission concluded in 2022, ‘More supply — in any segment of the market — can improve affordability for low-income households’.

“The Housing Support Program will help kick-start housing, so let’s boost this terrific initiative to help states unlock more homes,” he said.

Applications for stream 1 of the $500 million Housing Support Program are open until 12:00 pm AEST Monday 29 April 2024.

Stream 2 will provide funding for projects that provide enabling infrastructure and amenities such as footpaths, roads and parks to support new housing. This stream will open for applications May 2024