The ACT Government is seeking innovative approaches to the supply of affordable housing in the Territory, with funding between $5,000 and $220,000 available through the $1 million Affordable Housing Innovation Fund.
The funds will support pilot projects and the initial stages of innovative programs until they become self-sustaining.
The Fund was officially announced in 2017, and the first round funded the Environmental Collective Housing Organisation and Smart Urban Villages to test innovative, sustainable design with shared use of common spaces or with collective ownership models, and Community Housing Canberra (CHC) to establish an “affordable rental real estate management model”.
CHC received $230,000 in funding to establish the model, through which private landlords can rent their investment properties to households on lower incomes at below market rates, under the management of a registered community housing provider. CHC is expected to launch HomeGround in the coming weeks, and are calling for property owners to participate, which will offer rental properties at 75% of market rent for eligible Canberrans.
The second round of the Fund is calling for a home sharing scheme, specialist disability accommodation project, supported housing projects on underutilised community facility land, dedication accommodation for low income families escaping domestic violence, and other innovative approaches to boosting affordable housing supply.
The program will provide support funding for up to one year.
Applications close Monday 27 May. To apply, visit planning.act.gov.au/topics/affordable_housing/innovation-fund
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