National Housing Infrastructure Facility (NHIF)
Finance to unlock new housing supply
Overview
The National Housing Infrastructure Facility (NHIF) is a $1 billion facility that provides finance for eligible infrastructure projects that will unlock new housing supply, particularly affordable housing. The NHIF offers concessional loans, grants and equity finance to help support critical housing-enabling infrastructure.
To be eligible for financing, an applicant must demonstrate that without NHFIC financing its project would be unlikely to proceed, or likely to proceed only at a much later date or with a lesser impact on new affordable housing.
What can NHIF finance be used for?
The NHIF can provide finance to help support critical housing-enabling infrastructure. This includes new or upgraded infrastructure for:
Electricity and Gas
Water, sewerage and stormwater
Transportation including roads
Telecommunications
NHIF finance can also be used for:
Site remediation including the removal of hazardous waste or contamination
Onsite and linking infrastructure
The terms of NHIF finance are flexible with a range of concessions available to suit the applicant’s project requirements. These may include, for example, concessional interest rates, and/or longer loan tenure or extended period of capitalised interest.
How does it work?
Eligible applicants can apply for finance for a:
NHIF concessional loan
NHIF grant
NHIF equity investment
Combination of these financing options
Where the application is for a grant, NHFIC will give priority to proposals that also seek other forms of NHFIC finance as part of a blended financing arrangement.
What can't NHIF finance be used for?
Funding will not be provided through the NHIF for:
Housing itself or community infrastructure such as parks, day-care centres or libraries
Acquisition or refinance of land holdings, levies or contributions
Feasibility, scoping or planning studies or consultancy costs
Administrative costs associated with a project
