Debi Marriott-Lavery

Conscious Investment Management (CIM) and leading community housing provider St George Community Housing (SGCH) have partnered to acquire 102 dwellings in Box Hill, Victoria. The properties will be delivered as affordable housing under the Housing Australia Future Fund Facility (HAFFF) program.

The acquisition is being financed through a combination of capital from CIM’s managed funds, with investors including Future Super, the first superannuation fund to back the HAFF program. SGCH will gain ownership and ongoing operation of the homes, with the financing structured to ensure they remain affordable and in community ownership long-term.

SGCH is one of Australia’s most experienced and trusted community housing providers, recognised for its leadership and excellence in delivering high-quality, social and affordable housing. A registered not-for-profit community housing provider operating since 1985, SGCH currently provides homes for 11,500 Australians. The Box Hill dwellings are intended to be offered as affordable housing for predominantly frontline workers, helping to alleviate pressure in a community where 44% of renters experience housing stress — well above the Victorian state average. The 102 turnkey apartments are ideally situated near public transport and within walking distance of the Box Hill health precinct.

SGCH CEO Debi Marriott-Lavery said: “This Box Hill acquisition is truly historic for SGCH – we have 40 proud years of serving Sydney communities and today marks our first step into Victoria, hot on the heels of our recent expansion into Queensland. It’s an exciting milestone that brings us closer to our vision of ensuring more Australians can access a home they can afford and that meets their needs. We know that thousands of families across Australia are struggling to find safe, affordable homes – that challenge certainly doesn’t stop at state borders. Through partnerships like this one with Housing Australia, we can reach more people who desperately need secure housing and give them the stability they deserve.”

“We are proud to support SGCH and Housing Australia in this important acquisition,” said Matthew Tominc, Chief Investment Officer at CIM. “The HAFFF program is a great mechanism to address housing need at scale, and we’re committed to supporting experienced, not-for-profit providers to be at the centre of its delivery.”

CIM has reaffirmed its dedication to addressing Australia’s pressing housing challenges, having actively financed the community housing sector since 2021. To support its participation in the HAFFF program, CIM recently achieved the successful final close of its second dedicated social and affordable housing fund, the CIM Social Housing Fund 2 (SHF2), including cornerstone investments from Future Group, Minderoo Foundation and the Paul Ramsay Foundation. Once fully deployed, SHF2 is expected to deliver approximately 2,000 housing outcomes across Australia, in collaboration with a network of experienced community housing providers.

Future Group Chief Executive Officer, Simon Sheikh said: “Our members want their retirement savings to build a fairer, more sustainable future and to be invested in solutions to the big challenges we face, like the housing crisis. By becoming the first super fund to back the HAFF program, Future Super is showing that superannuation can be a powerful force for good creating real-world impact while also delivering strong long-term returns. This landmark Box Hill investment demonstrates what’s possible when capital is directed towards both impact and performance.”

Expansion into Victoria represents strategic growth for SGCH, building on four decades of experience to meet housing demand across Australia’s eastern seaboard. Establishing operations in Victoria positions SGCH to become a truly national community housing provider, enabling the organisation to diversify its portfolio while maintaining its core mission of delivering secure, affordable homes. SGCH’s proven development and management expertise will be applied to this new market, with the organisation building partnerships with local stakeholders to ensure community-responsive housing solutions.

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