More than 100 new crisis and transitional homes are set to be delivered across South Australia as part of a $50.8 million funding boost aimed at supporting people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
The funding, announced by Federal Housing and Homelessness Minister Clare O’Neil at Junction’s Marltarra Tiny Homes campus south of Adelaide, will deliver 101 homes across the state and provide support for more than 2,100 women, children and young people.
The investment includes more than $13.4 million to expand Junction’s Marltarra campus from 10 studios to 20, alongside a new Northern Adelaide site that will also feature 20 studios.
The Marltarra campus currently provides transportable homes for young people aged 16 to 18 who are leaving out-of-home care without family support.
The expansion will see support workers based at both campuses, helping young people access education and employment while working towards secure, long-term housing.
Over the next 20 years, the two campuses are expected to support up to 600 young people.
Junction is one of eight South Australian projects receiving funding through the Federal Government’s Housing Australia Future Fund, with projects spanning areas including Murray Bridge, Smithfield, Smithfield Plains, Whyalla Norrie, Davoren Park, Elizabeth North and Adelaide’s north and south.
A major focus of the funding is on using modern construction methods to get homes to people faster.
Rather than building everything on site, homes can be manufactured off-site while work on the surrounding site happens at the same time, helping to cut down delivery times.
Across Australia, the Federal Government is investing $71 million from the Housing Australia Future Fund into 117 homes using modern construction methods, with the projects expected to support more than 3,200 women, children and young people at risk of homelessness.
“A home changes lives. For a young person leaving care with nowhere safe to go, it can be the difference between falling through the cracks and building a future,” shared Clare O’Neil.
“Modern construction means we can get these homes built in months, not years. These projects show exactly what building smarter and faster looks like on the ground.”
South Australian Housing and Urban Development Minister Nick Champion added, “The Malinauskas Government stands in partnership with the Albanese Government to deliver real homes, built faster, for vulnerable South Australians who need them most.
“Whether it’s a young person leaving care or a woman and her children escaping violence, everyone deserves a safe place to call home and the foundation that stable housing gives people rebuild their life from there.
“We have delivered the first increase to South Australia’s public housing stock in a generation. This funding shows that the pipeline of homes for South Australians remains strong.”
The South Australian funding forms part of the Federal Government’s broader commitment to deliver 55,000 social and affordable homes across the country, with more than 7,200 already complete and a further 23,000 in planning or construction.
The Federal Government is also investing $275 million through its Safe Places Emergency Accommodation Program and Crisis and Transitional Accommodation Program, alongside $9.3 billion for states and territories through the National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness.
For young people, additional funding includes $124.6 million over four years for the Reconnect early intervention program and $59.4 million to help young people aged 16 to 24 access stable community housing.
For the people who will eventually move into these homes, however, the investment is about more than construction numbers. It is about providing a safe and stable place to live, and giving people the foundation they need to move towards education, employment, independence and a more secure future.
