Wesley Mission’s affordable rental and supported housing development in Curtin, Canberra, is officially going ahead after securing funding through the first round of the Australian Government’s $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF).

The project – located on land owned by the Uniting Church Property Trust – also received support from the ACT Government’s Affordable Housing Project Fund and a construction grant.

Designed by AMC Architecture, the development will deliver 83 affordable one-, two- and three-bedroom units aimed at key workers, alongside 15 supported apartments for people living with enduring mental illness. Tenants will pay less than 75% of market rent, with on-site care support provided for the supported housing residents.

The project was made feasible through the collaboration of multiple partners, including Sustainable Development Group (SDG), AMC Architecture, Woden Valley Uniting Church and local Not For Profit MyHome in Canberra.

SDG – a property development facilitator that helps churches and faith-aligned NFPs maximise the social, spiritual, environmental and financial returns of their properties – said its involvement was crucial to making the project stack up.

“The project delivered also shows a deep care for some of the most vulnerable in our society through the supported housing component, which fits with SDG’s Christian ethos," said SDG’s Head of Project Management, James Cockrem. "The HAFF program makes projects like this feasible, so it’s a real game changer."

The ACT Government said construction is expected to start early next year, with completion anticipated by early 2028. Wesley Mission will deliver the project as the housing provider.