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The NSW Government’s 2024/25 Budget provided $527.6 million in funding over four years for homelessness services as part of a record $6.6 billion investment to reduce homelessness and to increase and improve social housing. As part of that announcement, 100 million over 4 years was allocated and committed to the HIF.
The first HIF allocations occurred in 2024/25 and funded 70 projects to implement new service approaches and investment in targeted early intervention or prevention responses.
The FY 2025/26 HIF budget is $20 million. An RFT opened in October 2025.
In the 2025-26 round, HIF sought proposals from the sector to:
The HIF has set a 10% (minimum) target to fund Aboriginal Community Controlled organisations (ACCO) led partnerships to promote culturally safe housing responses.
The HIF Tender is open to registered Community Housing Providers (CHPs), Aboriginal Community Housing Providers (ACHPs) and accredited Specialist Homelessness Services (SHSs).
One HIF RFT was conducted in FY 25/26. Proposals have been assessed and proponents will be informed shortly. For this round, the market response was stronger than expected and the large number of bids received, oversubscribed the available $20 million creating a future pipeline of HIF projects for Homes NSW to consider. Additional funding of almost $6 million was also provided to fund additional projects. Homes NSW reserves the right to fund these before another HIF RFT Assessment Round 2 is released.
Further assessment rounds will be announced as funding is confirmed, providing the market with more opportunities to bid.
Request for Tenders for Homelessness Innovation Fund Frequently Asked Questions can be found here (PDF, 158.6 KB).
The HIF 2025-26 Request for Tender (RFT) used a competitive open-market approach to source projects that aimed to deliver cost-effective, flexible, and alternative models to temporary accommodation. Successful projects aimed to lessen the reliance on the use of Supported Temporary Accommodation and commercial Temporary Accommodation by using alternate housing with support and sustainable exit strategies.
Fifty applications were assessed with 14 successful proponents selected for funding of $25,937,974 (exc. GST)
Over 120 additional crisis bedrooms are targeted for delivery in around 69 dwellings. Ten projects were funded in Regional NSW: Albury, Ballina, Bathurst, Broken Hill, Byron, Gunnedah, Lismore, Muswellbrook, Port Macquarie and Wellington.
Two projects are led or involve an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation.
Community Housing Providers provided over $10 million in cash and non-cash contributions.
Link: https://dcj.nsw.gov.au/housing/homelessness-innovation-fund/homelessness-innovation-fund-hif-2025-26.html
| Recipient | Project | Amount | Summary | Date Approved | Location of the project |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allambi Care Limited | Homebased Housing Project | $480,000 | Allambi Care will deliver five transitional housing dwellings in the Lake Macquarie region for young people aged 16–25 experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including care leavers, young people escaping family conflict or DFV, and young parents. | May 2026 | Redhead |
| B Miles Women's Foundation | Potts Point Project | $150,000 | B Miles Women’s Foundation will refurbish two self-contained crisis accommodation units in inner Sydney for women experiencing homelessness, domestic and family violence, mental ill-health, and trauma. | May 2026 | Potts Point |
| Common Equity NSW | Co-Op Housing for Homeless Women - North Coast Project | $902,225 | Common Equity NSW will deliver four new, freestanding, one-bedroom transitional housing properties for homeless women across two North Coast sites. The project provides secure and affordable housing with community support, and will produce a sustainable, cost efficient, replicable model for regional women's housing. | June 2026 | Myocum & Clunes |
| Community Housing Limited | Transitional Housing - Port Macquarie Project | $5,000,000 | Community Housing Limited will acquire 5 dwellings in the Port Macquarie LGA to deliver safe, medium-term transitional housing for women and children escaping domestic and family violence (DFV) | June 2026 | Port Macquarie LGA |
| Gunida Gunyah Aboriginal Corporation | Gunnedah Transitional Housing Project | $1,463,877 | Gunida Gunya Aboriginal Corporation will deliver four culturally safe transitional housing units for Aboriginal women and children experiencing homelessness and domestic and family violence, supported through Aboriginal-led wraparound services. | May 2026 | Gunnedah |
| Home in Place (Australia) | Cornerstone Muswellbrook Project | $2,595,000 | Home in Place will deliver ten self-contained transitional housing units in Muswellbrook for single people experiencing homelessness, with onsite support to help residents transition to long-term housing. | May 2026 | Muswellbrook |
| Kirinari Community Services | Bridge to Home (Albury) Project | $1,128,388 | Kirinari Community Services will acquire four transitional housing units in Albury for people experiencing homelessness, including a dedicated unit for Aboriginal clients, with support provided through homelessness services partnerships. | May 2026 | Albury |
| Orana Support Services | Maughan Apartments Wellington Project | $2,490,575 | Orana Support Service will provide six crisis and transitional housing dwellings in Wellington for women, children, young people, Aboriginal people, and pregnant women experiencing homelessness or escaping violence. | May 2026 | Wellington |
| Flourish Australia | Blacktown Cottage Project | $818,000 | Flourish Australia will add two self-contained cottages to an existing supported accommodation site in Western Sydney for mothers and children experiencing homelessness, domestic and family violence, and mental health challenges. | May 2026 | Blacktown |
| The Trustee for The Salvation Army (NSW) Property Trust | Broken Hill Housing Project | $886,875 | The Salvation Army will purchase four medium-term accommodation dwellings in Broken Hill for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, supported through trauma-informed case management and culturally safe services. | May 2026 | Broken Hill |
| Northern Rivers Housing | Ballina Project | $2,069,866 | Northern Rivers Housing will construct four self-contained transitional housing units in Ballina for individuals, couples, and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. | May 2026 | Ballina |
| Veritas House | Bathurst Young People and Families Project | $2,385,000 | Veritas House will deliver three supported and transitional housing townhouses in Bathurst for young people aged 17–25 and young families experiencing homelessness or housing instability. | May 2026 | Bathurst |
| Wollongong Homeless Hub and Housing Services | Fairy Meadow Project | $5,000,000 | Wollongong Homeless Hub will acquire eight self-contained transitional housing units in the Illawarra for households experiencing homelessness, including Aboriginal clients and women and children escaping domestic and family violence. | May 2026 | Fairy Meadow |
| Women's Community Shelters | Campsie Short Stay Transitional Housing Project | $568,168 | Women’s Community Shelters will refurbish eight transitional housing units in South-West Sydney for women and children escaping domestic and family violence, with tenancy support delivered in partnership with specialist DFV services. | May 2026 | Campsie |
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