Efficiency, Funding

CEFC backs energy efficient community homes with $130m investment

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation has committed $130 million to community housing provider SGCH for the construction of 300 energy efficient homes in Sydney.

The NSW government announced on March 10 that SGCH was awarded a contract to build 300 dwellings under the first phase of the new Social and Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF).

The SAHF is a key component of the NSW Future Directions for Social Housing in NSW strategy that will result in more social and affordable housing dwellings linked to tailored support, to help households gain independence.

The $1.1 billion SAHF is aiming to ultimately deliver 2,200 new social and affordable homes across metropolitan and regional NSW, working alongside non-government housing providers.

The CEFC finance will enable SGCH to build all its SAHF homes to a higher energy efficiency standard, with the new homes built to an average 7-Star National Housing Energy Rating System (NatHERS) rating.

CEFC community and affordable housing lead Victoria Adams said: “The marginal additional cost of the energy efficiency investment will have long term and ongoing benefits for the tenants, particularly through lower energy bills.”

The CEFC finance means the new homes are likely to include features such as improved insulation, LED lighting, energy efficient appliances, smart meters and solar installations.

SGCH has already drawn on $40 million in CEFC finance in an earlier transaction, to enable the construction of some 200 energy efficient dwellings.

“Community housing is an area where innovative clean energy solutions can have an immediate impact, and lock in lower energy costs for tenants,” Adams said.

The SGCH project will focus on Canterbury-Bankstown, Georges River, Liverpool, Fairfield, Cumberland and Parramatta.

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