A new Trust, a new commitment
In a move to address the housing needs of South Australians, the State Government unveiled its Housing Roadmap in June. Our Housing Roadmap charts our way through the housing crisis currently affecting South Australians.
SA Housing Trust (the Trust) is playing a key role in delivering the measures. We are investing in 5000 public housing homes, and we are turbocharging the construction, maintenance, and repair of public housing in South Australia. We are on target for the first period of growth in public housing in decades, with 1025 homes projected for completion by 2026.
Our commitments to public housing total 4,817 homes by 2026, including major updates and
upgrades to existing homes:
- 437 new homes are being built under the Public Housing Improvement Program (PHIP)
- 127 new homes are being built under the additional housing program
- 461 new homes are being built under as part of ongoing work
- 350 homes are being upgraded under the PHIP
- 3000 homes are being maintained under the PHIP
- 442 through the Social Housing Accelerator Payment
An additional 580 homes have been saved by stopping viability sales.
By 2026, we will also have built 1000 affordable homes for purchase, and we are already halfway there. These homes are listed for sale on our HomeSeeker SA website exclusively for eligible buyers – at least 500 properties are listed for sale each year on HomeSeeker SA.
Bringing back the Housing Trust in a new era reflects our contemporary role in the housing system. A new and modern Trust will include some of the amazing elements of its history building more homes for rental and supporting people to purchase homes in different ways – but with a modern and diverse workforce, with respect for the deep spiritual connection of Aboriginal Peoples to country, and a recognition of the need to renew how we keep homes occupied and support tenants to maintain their conditions of tenancy.
3,500 Trust homes to benefit from energy upgrades
Up to 3,500 South Australian Housing Trust households will benefit from power-saving energy upgrades and reduced power bills through a $35.8 million partnership between the federal and state governments.
The Social Housing Energy Performance Initiative (SHEPI) will deliver upgrades to ensure tenant comfort in hot and cold conditions while reducing energy consumption and related emissions. The program will positively impact Trust homes in Adelaide, Adelaide Hills, and remote areas.
SHEPI will support a range of energy performance improvements, including roof insulation, upgrade of gas appliances to electric appliances, and installation of LED lighting and window glazing.
The Australian Government is investing $300 million over four years from 2023–24 to support energy upgrades for up to 60,000 properties through social housing partnerships with state and territory governments. The Trust has commenced the rollout of energy performance upgrades and will ramp up delivery in the coming months.
Affordable housing halfway milestone
The Trust's Affordable Housing Initiative has reached its halfway milestone of building 1000 affordable homes. Construction is underway on the 578th property. Since March 2022, 197 affordable homes have been built and are already occupied across suburban Adelaide and regional South Australia.
The latest development at Harbrow Grove in Seacombe Gardens is nearing completion and will deliver 29 homes for eligible buyers at a fixed price.
Bradford Projects by Scott Salisbury is constructing the development in Seacombe Gardens, selling homes from $485,000, well below the median price of $775,000 for the suburb.
All affordable homes built through the Affordable Housing Initiative are for low- to moderate income South Australians, advertised exclusively for sale on the government’s affordable homes website www.homeseeker.sa.gov.au.
Aboriginal Career Exploration Program
75 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander year 10 students taking part in an Aboriginal Career Exploration (ACE) program had the opportunity to tour building works undertaken through the Trust’s Employment Pathways Program. The Trust's builders Palumbo, Fairmont, and Metricon hosted the students at their construction sites, providing an insight into the world of
residential construction.
As a part of the ACE program, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students across the state came together for an immersion week. During the week, they also met potential employers and underwent training to learn more about the industry and career pathways.
Over 75 students selected the construction industry as their pathway of choice.
Renovation advances rapidly as part of Public Housing Improvement Program
Findon apartment undergoes renovation
As part of the Public Housing Improvement Program (PHIP), 350 homes are undergoing
renovations across the state. Contractors finished significant renovations to apartments in Findon this week, with tenants to move in coming weeks. The units look fantastic and showcase the enormous amount of work that went into these extensive renovations, which will benefit the tenants and extend the life of the properties.
Northern suburb home
Our maintenance teams have refurbished 130 public homes under the Public Housing Improvement Program program (PHIP) since 2022, with more than 200 more underway. Watch a video on how a Northern Suburbs home was renovated
More affordable homes for South Australians
Construction has begun on 51 affordable homes in Munno Para. The Housing Trust project named 'Everleigh', managed by Fairmont Homes, contributes to our goal of constructing 1000 affordable homes by 2026. Affordable homes increase the housing supply for low and moderate-income earners, supporting them to move from renting to owning and realising their home ownership dreams. We sell these homes at a fixed price, ensuring no competition from investors, through HomeSeeker SA.
SA Housing Trust won the UDIA SA Awards 2024
We sounded the celebratory horns after a win at the prestigious Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) SA Awards 2024 for Excellence last month. The Trust took away the Social and Community Infrastructure award for the design and delivery of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) in partnership with the Department for Energy and Mining.
VPP is a network of distributed energy resources installed in public housing across the state. This world-first initiative subsidises low-income tenants by providing solar panels and battery storage, integrating community benefits with commercial success.
Two other projects were also finalists at the UDIA SA Awards for Excellence - 10NW Woodville West and the Morphettville Urban Renewal. One of our community housing providers - Believe Housing, also won the Project of the Year award for their Mansfield Park Project (watch the YouTube video).
Putting a smile on someone's face
The Lakeview Transitional Accommodation Centre (TAC) recently organised a donation drive to support the community. The proceeds of the donation drive supported 20 families, men, women and children, in the community.
Donations came in from staff across SA Housing Trust offices. The dining rooms in the TAC were filled with clothing received through donations. The team restocked it twice with blankets, toiletries, baby clothes, toys, bags, shoes and many more.
These were offered to people in need and experiencing homelessness in the community.
A half-billion dollar investment will ease the public housing squeeze
Read Executive Director - Property Services, Mark Hayward's interview on how a half-billion-dollar investment in public housing will help rebuild public housing in South Australia. He elaborates on how we are progressing towards delivering on the housing roadmap’s commitments:
- delivering 1090 new public housing homes
- major renovations on 350 homes
- and maintenance blitz on 3000 tenanted homes across metropolitan and regional sites
