The massive response to Round 3 of the Housing Australia Future Fund is an extraordinary demonstration of the maturity of Australia's non-market housing sector.
Less than a week after opening for expressions of interest, applications have been submitted to provide nearly 30,000 social and affordable homes and counting – smashing all expectations.
"The HAFF is a catalytic investment mechanism that deserves support from across the Parliament", said Rob Stokes, Chair of Faith Housing Australia.
"The incredible response to the HAFF proves its success in building capacity, attracting capital, and promoting partnerships to provide real homes for people in need,
"This isn't mere enthusiasm. It's readiness," said Amanda Bailey, CEO of Faith Housing Australia.
"We're seeing years of preparation come together. Community housing providers have done the hard work on governance, finance and partnerships, and they're now positioned to deliver homes quickly and responsibly."
"The HAFF has shifted mission-driven housing providers from the margins to the mainstream.
"And with that comes legitimacy, scale and serious partnerships."
"As volumes accelerated, Housing Australia moved quickly to adjust system settings, enabling large numbers of expressions of interest to be queued and allowing good projects to stay in play."
Many of the projects now in the pipeline are backed by long-standing faith-based organisations, including some supported by land held in trust for generations.
"These are institutions thinking in generations, not funding cycles. They are building housing that lasts."
She said the surge in demand shows growing alignment across the non-market housing system.
"Right now, this ecosystem is humming. Community housing providers, investors, landholders and governments are pulling in the same direction — and that matters when vulnerable people are finding fewer and fewer options in the private market."
But she said success also brings responsibility.
"When a system starts working this well, the question naturally becomes: what next?"
"The response to this round shows what's possible. It creates a real opportunity for government to build on this momentum and deepen the non-market housing system it is actively shaping."
Faith Housing Australia said it will continue working closely with Housing Australia and government to turn this readiness into long-term outcomes.
"Our members are ready. The partnerships are in place. The pipeline is real," she said.
"Government can have faith that our members have the capability, governance and partnerships to deliver at scale."
