This report details government investment and financing in social and affordable housing. It looks at how Housing Australia is contributing to sustainable finance and it's Sustainability Bond Framework, as well as the contribution of the green, social and sustainability (GSS) bond market to the current state of social and affordable housing in Australia. It finds growth in the GSS market, particularly in the areas of social and sustainability bonds.

Housing Australia (formerly the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation) is the independent national housing authority that supports the delivery of Australian Government programs to improve the supply of sustainable, long-term social and affordable housing and support home ownership for more Australians. 

Housing Australia makes loans and provides grants to help finance social and affordable housing, including the critical infrastructure needed to unlock and accelerate new housing supply. It does this through the Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator (AHBA); National Housing Infrastructure Facility (NHIF); Housing Australia Future Fund Facility (HAFFF); and National Housing Accord Facility (NHAF).

Key points

• Since 2019, Housing Australia has issued a total of $1.8 billion in social bonds to finance social and affordable housing.
• Housing Australia also issued sustainability bonds in 2021 and 2023 collectively valued at $0.9 billion.
• In 2023–24, Housing Australia approved $876.8 million for social and affordable housing through the Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator (AHBA).
• Concessional and longer tenor finance through the AHBA is estimated to have saved $140 million in interest.