Australia’s Governments housing targets have set an ambitious direction. The challenge now is turning those targets into homes.
Apartment supply has become central to the national housing conversation, particularly in Western Australia where population growth outpaces supply. While planning reform, funding and policy settings all have a role to play, delivering housing at scale is far more complex than simply approving more developments. It requires confidence across the entire delivery chain, from investors and government through to developers, builders and community housing providers.
As the market continues to evolve, so too has the role of community housing providers.
Once recognised primarily as long-term housing managers, organisations like Foundation Housing are now active development partners, working alongside government and industry to bring new housing projects to life. This evolution reflects a broader shift across the sector, where collaboration and commercial capability are becoming just as important as funding in unlocking housing supply.
Projects such as Rise@Murdoch demonstrate this new approach. Bringing together government, private industry and the community housing sector, the development delivers social and affordable housing and commercial tenancies while creating a connected community close to transport, education, employment and essential services. It demonstrates that increasing housing supply is not simply about building more apartments. It is about delivering homes in places where people can thrive.
Foundation Housing CEO Chris Smith believes meeting Australia’s housing ambitions requires organisations to look beyond traditional roles.
“Community housing providers are no longer simply managing housing. By bringing together government, investors, developers and builders, we can accelerate housing supply while ensuring developments continue to serve communities well into the future.”
That long-term perspective distinguishes community housing providers from many traditional development models. Foundation Housing retains ownership and management of the homes it delivers, creating a focus on quality, sustainability, operational performance and tenant outcomes from planning onwards. Success is measured not simply by project completion, but by how well those homes continue to perform for decades to come.
While innovative delivery models are critical, significant challenges remain.
Foundation Housing Board Director Jarrad Sizer says the construction sector’s capacity continues to be one of the biggest constraints to increasing supply.
“The biggest challenge is the lack of qualified tradespeople and skilled construction workers,” Mr Sizer says. “Even with strong government support, available land and investment, homes cannot be built without enough skilled workers. To achieve Australia’s housing targets, we need to grow the workforce and improve industry capacity so builders can scale up delivery with confidence.”
Financial and delivery risks associated with apartment development have increased significantly. Higher construction costs, funding pressures and tighter project feasibility mean even well-conceived developments can stall.
Mr Sizer believes this is where trusted partnerships become essential.
“Successful partnerships come down to providing certainty for all parties and being willing to share both risk and reward,” he says. “When government, developers, builders and financiers work together with a clear understanding of project objectives and commercial realities, projects become more viable and ultimately more homes get built.”
He says Foundation Housing’s commercial capability, combined with its long-term commitment to ownership, allows the organisation to work confidently alongside government and industry partners.
“We understand the realities of project delivery, funding and risk management, enabling us to work effectively with government, builders and financiers to bring projects to reality.”
This collaborative approach is becoming increasingly important as Australia looks to deliver housing at a scale not seen in decades. It also highlights that solving the housing challenge will require more than one sector acting alone. Success will come from organisations bringing complementary expertise, sharing risk and maintaining a collective focus on delivery.
Quality, however, cannot be sacrificed for speed.
Foundation Housing Chair Peter Lee believes the homes built today must continue serving communities for generations.
“These apartments will be around for 50 years and need to be future-proofed,” Mr Lee says. “Good apartment development cannot ignore sustainability, efficiency, local context and amenity simply to increase housing numbers.”
Mr Lee also believes housing should be recognised as essential infrastructure.
“Housing is an investment in our country’s people. Without enough affordable housing in the right places, built to high sustainable standards and well maintained, we suffer economically as well as socially.”
That principle sits at the heart of Foundation Housing’s approach. Delivering homes at scale is important, but equally important is ensuring those homes remain affordable, sustainable and connected to the communities they serve long after construction is complete.
Australia’s housing targets are ambitious, but they are achievable. Doing so will require organisations that combine commercial capability with long-term stewardship, embrace genuine partnerships and focus on delivering lasting housing outcomes.
Foundation Housing is proud to be part of that solution, working alongside government, industry and investment partners to deliver more homes, strengthen communities and increase housing supply across Western Australia.
