Social & Affordable HousingClare BurnettMon 14 Sep 26
Williamstown Approval Adds 65 Homes to Under-Fire HAFF Scheme
A Housing Australia Future Fund project in the south-west Melbourne suburb of Williamstown has been approved as the social housing fund faces mounting scrutiny.
The state has given the greenlight for Housing Choices Australia’s 65-home, two-building project at 5 Power Street via the Development Facilitation Program pathway.
The project, designed by KTA Architects, will comprise 38 one, 25 two, and 2 three-bedroom homes along with 40 car parking spaces on a 3131sq m site.
The apartment plans from the national not-for-profit community housing provider required the site to be rezoned from transport and recreation zones to a residential growth zone (RGZ).
It is a storey higher than the RGZ allows, but this was justified by staggered built form and setbacks, and its location in a “substantial change area” next to the North Williamstown Station.
Housing Choices’ proposals were submitted in February. A public consultation received 203 submissions.
The Hobsons Bay City Council resolved to support the development, but concerns were raised during community consultation about anti-social behaviour, an “excess” of social housing and the creation of “ghettos”.
However, the planning assessment report said was not something that could be considered in the planning permit process.
Surrounded by commuter car park for the neighbouring North Williamstown Station, the railway corridor itself and a childcare centre, the project will be 1km from the Williamstown Major Activity Centre in the Hobsons Bay City Council local government area.
The $10-billion HAFF came under fire this year after an Australian National Audit Office investigation into the Treasury’s design and delivery of the fund.
HAFF’s remit was to deliver 40,000 social homes when it was established in November, 2023.
It faced considerable criticism after it was revealed in the Audit Office report that as of April 2026, just 1432 homes of that target had been built.
Of these, 762 were homes constructed by housing providers and 670 were homes developed by private industry and purchased by a housing provider
The fund expected that half of the target would be delivered by June 30, 2028.
One of Victoria’s largest Housing Australia Future Fund-backed projects began construction earlier this year, but there has been a notable slowdown in the number of HAFF projects making their way through the development pipeline.
HAFF opens stream to expressions-of-interest
Meanwhile, Stream 5 – Release 1 of the Housing Australia Future Fund’s third funding round has opened for expressions-of-interest.
The fund targets well-located, low-density Class 1 projects that are ready to move into construction and operation, the Commonwealth said.
The stream provides an additional funding pathway for shovel-ready projects and is intended to broaden the range of housing types supported through the HAFF.
Housing Australia chief executive Scott Langford said the new stream would help maintain momentum towards the Federal Government’s target of delivering 40,000 social and affordable homes.
The third funding round has already established a pipeline of more than 1900 homes in planning, 6800 homes ready to start construction, 7850 under construction and more than 1600 completed homes, according to Housing Australia.
It said the new stream would support projects capable of moving quickly through delivery while contributing to the national social and affordable housing pipeline.
