CEFC invests $100 million in sustainable housing

New build-to-rent initiative to deliver affordable, energy-efficient homes for key workers in Australia's major cities

CEFC invests $100 million in sustainable housing

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) has committed $100 million to a new build-to-rent (BTR) initiative managed by AXA IM Alts.

The strategy aims to integrate clean energy technologies into affordable housing developments, targeting Australia’s major metropolitan centres.

The initiative’s first phase plans to deliver up to 3,000 apartments, with at least 50% offered at discounted rents to means-tested tenants in key worker employment hubs.

The developments will follow the International Energy Agency’s zero carbon buildings principles, ensuring they are energy efficient, fully electric, and capable of operating on renewable energy. The design also aims to reduce embodied carbon, aligning with Australia's broader goals to decarbonise its building sector and cut national emissions.

The strategy’s inaugural project, a 397-unit residential development in Sydney’s Westmead, will provide housing for about 1,000 people. Situated near one of the country’s largest health, education, and research precincts, the project will focus on key workers such as healthcare, teaching, and emergency response professionals. Half of the units will be allocated for this workforce at below-market rents.

The Westmead project, expected to be completed in late 2025, will target a minimum 5-star Green Star Building certification and an average NatHERS energy efficiency rating of 7.5 stars. Future developments will follow similar sustainability benchmarks, offering a replicable model for affordable, environmentally conscious housing across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

This investment brings the benefits of sustainability to an important segment of the residential sector at scale,” said Ian Learmonth (pictured above), chief executive of Clean Energy Finance Corporation. “It also addresses housing supply and affordability while unlocking the advantages of clean energy living for tenants.”

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