Housing Australia helps people access affordable, safe and secure housing.
It does this by:
- increasing the supply of affordable housing
- encouraging private and public investment
- providing funding or investment for federal, state and territory initiatives
- strengthening the community housing sector
- helping eligible buyers enter the market sooner.
Types of finance
Housing Australia supports better housing outcomes through 3 key functions:
- Financing – provides loans and grants to help deliver more affordable housing.
- Guarantee – offers guarantees to eligible organisations to improve housing outcomes.
- Capacity-building – provides business advisory services and other support to registered community housing providers.
Background
The agency was established on 30 June 2018 under the Housing Australia Act 2018.
It was previously named the National Housing Financing Investment Corporation.
Housing Australia operates as a corporate Commonwealth entity and specialist direct investment vehicle.
The Act sets out its purpose and functions.
Governance
The Minister for Housing is responsible under the Act.
They appoint members to the Housing Australia Board and issues directions about the performance of Housing Australia’s investment function.
Read more on the Housing Australia website.
Statement of expectations
The Minister for Housing provides guidance on how Housing Australia should operate through a statement of expectations (SoE). The board responds with a statement of intent (SoI).
Housing Australia’s SoE and SoI were released in September 2025.
They include the following priorities:
- Improving access to affordable, safe and secure housing for Australians, especially vulnerable groups such as women, young people and First Nations peoples.
- Delivering key programs to increase the supply of social and affordable housing and support pathways to home ownership.
- Ensuring efficient delivery of programs that align with the government’s policy, legislation and financial priorities.
- Supporting oversight and performance monitoring through timely and accurate data collection, analysis and reporting.
Read the SoE on the Treasury website and the SoI on the Housing Australia website.
Investment mandate
The minister can provide directions about the performance of Housing Australia’s investment function through an investment mandate.
The current mandate, issued on 13 October 2023, covers:
- the set-up and operation of key programs
- support for housing providers to develop their financial and management skills
- research into housing affordability in Australia
- preparatory work for the National Housing Accord commitment.
The mandate also provides guidance to the board on:
- how to carry out its investment functions, including who can apply
- strategies and policies to follow to ensure effective performance
- general governance matters.
Read more in the explanatory statement.
More information
Read more about the agency and funding opportunities on the Housing Australia website.
For questions about policy matters, contact Treasury.
