Seventy affordable rental homes will be built as part of a new 140-unit Build‑to‑Rent development in Phillip, the ACT Government announced this morning.
The Build-to-Rent development is next to the Canberra Southern Cross Club’s Stellar Canberra health and wellness centre. Club president John Lewis said it was “another part of our Club’s diversification program and is vital to our long-term sustainability”.
Construction will begin this year and is expected to be completed in 2026, ready for families to move in.
The project is supported by the government’s $60 million Affordable Housing Project Fund, established last year to grow the supply of affordable rental properties in Canberra and strengthen the community housing sector. Since it was launched, the Fund has financially supported six projects, which the government says could deliver 280 new affordable rentals for Canberrans.
The Canberra Southern Cross Club has partnered with CHC Australia, the largest provider of affordable and social housing based in Canberra.
“With a dire shortage of rental accommodation that is affordable for lower income earners such as essential workers, CHC is delighted that the ACT Government is supporting community housing providers to grow affordable rental supply,” CHC Australia CEO Andrew Hannan said.
“Together with our valued partner, the Canberra Southern Cross Club, we cannot wait to turn soil on our new mixed-tenure market and affordable Build-to-Rent development in Phillip that will deliver 70 affordable rental units for the community.”
This year’s Budget Review commits $500,000 to plan and design the MyHome project in Curtin, designed to provide long-term supported residential accommodation and care for 15 mentally ill people. The project will be led by Wesley Mission working with MyHome in Canberra, a local community organisation, and Woden Valley Uniting Church. It would be built on Uniting Church land.
“Housing continues to be an ACT Government priority as we increase housing access, choice and affordability,” Chief Minister Andrew Barr said.
“We are using every lever we can across Government to accelerate more projects that will support more affordable homes.
“The initiatives announced today will help ensure we have the right mix of housing options to meet the needs of our growing city, which is on track to reach 500,000 people by 2027.”
These initiatives progress commitments of the Parliamentary Agreement of the 10th Legislative Assembly by the ACT Labor-Greens Government.
Build-to-Rent, which aims to provide affordable housing to long-term renters, is part of the Government’s ACT Housing Strategy to improve rental supply and affordability.
The Government will announce further community housing partnerships soon for Build-to-Rent projects.
Community housing providers and developers are encouraged to submit proposals to access the fund at any time. More information is in the government’s Affordable Rental Prospectus.
