HESTA invests $240 million towards housing fund manager

24 November 2022
| By Jasmine Siljic |
image
image
expand image

HESTA has launched Super Housing Partnerships (SHP), a specialist affordable housing fund manager.

HESTA’s $240 million investment was aimed towards the development of numerous build-to-rent (BTR) apartment projects in Victoria. 

With a purpose of providing “social and affordable housing unique to the Australian market”, institutional investors would be able to access equity investment in BTR projects.

Debby Blakey, HESTA chief executive, said that SHP’s pipeline of new homes underpinned by the fund’s investment was designed to support long-term and reliable returns.

“We have the opportunity to innovate and invest to meet an unmet need, providing our members with appropriate risk-adjusted investment returns by improving housing supply,” Blakey said. 

The housing fund manager would additionally use an aggregator-style platform to solve the numerous obstacles to investment in affordable housing.

She commented: “A lack of access to housing impacts our members who provide critical services and need to afford housing near their work, and economic productivity that presents broader systemic risks to long-term investors like HESTA.” 

SHP’s first fund would utilise aggregate capital from institutional investors to construct over 1,600 mixed-tenure dwellings. 

Additionally, it would partner with Assemble, a sustainable housing developer, and Housing Choices Australia, a community housing provider.

A combination of affordable, social, market-rate and specialist disability housing would be present in the BTR Victorian apartments.

Kris Daff, SHP venture partner, described the project as “a crucial part of the solution to the acute and growing shortage of affordable housing in Australia.”

“We welcome HESTA’s significant $240 million initial investment as this commitment demonstrates the value of SHP to large institutional investors seeking real assets, while delivering vital outcomes for Australians struggling to access secure housing,” he said. 

Blakey added: “HESTA and SHP, through establishing this unique approach, have effectively built the pipes and pumps to allow institutional capital to flow towards addressing our national housing crisis.” 

Read more about:

AUTHOR

Add new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Recommended for you

sidebar subscription

Never miss the latest developments in Super Review! Anytime, Anywhere!

Grant Banner

From my perspective, 40- 50% of people are likely going to be deeply unhappy about how long they actually live. ...

4 months 1 week ago
Kevin Gorman

Super director remuneration ...

4 months 1 week ago
Anthony Asher

No doubt true, but most of it is still because over 45’s have been upgrading their houses with 30 year mortgages. Money ...

4 months 1 week ago

Blue Owl Capital, a US asset manager with its eye on ‘marquee investors’ like super funds, has announced the appointment of a senior Future Fund executive as its newest m...

3 days 2 hours ago

Australia’s second-largest super fund has confirmed it is expanding its presence in the UK following significant investment in the region....

3 days 18 hours ago

While the Financial Advice Association Australia said it supports a performance testing regime “in principle”, it holds reservations about expanding this scope to retirem...

3 days 9 hours ago

TOP PERFORMING FUNDS

ACS FIXED INT - AUSTRALIA/GLOBAL BOND