Victorian Property Fund grants

On this page:

• Housing funding rounds
• Environmentally sustainable housing funding round
• How to apply for a Victorian Property Fund grant
• About Victorian Property Fund grants
• How are grants awarded?
• How long does it take?
• Who can apply for a grant?
• Previous grant recipients

Housing funding rounds

Our annual competitive housing funding rounds are currently on hold. Community housing organisations can instead apply for grant funding from Homes Victoria. See their grants for housing development projects at Big Housing Build. For information on past housing grants awarded through the Victorian Property Fund, go to the list of grants awarded.

For more information on the most recent round, go to Victorian Property Fund housing funding round 2018-19.

Environmentally sustainable housing funding round

The Victorian Property Fund environmentally sustainable housing funding round 2017-18 saw 5 grants worth $1.3 million awarded to registered housing agencies. The round resulted in $2.7 million of improvements carried out to social housing properties. This includes contributions made by the housing agencies.

Lessons and tips for community housing organisations are captured in an outcome report and case studies produced by the Community Housing Industry Association of Victoria. 

For more information on the round, go to Environmentally sustainable housing funding round.

How to apply for a Victorian Property Fund grant

To apply for a Victorian Property Fund grant:

• read the Victorian Property Fund grant application guide. If you intend to apply for a housing assistance project, please also read the Guidelines for Housing Assistance Grants
• complete the Victorian Property Fund grant application form. A copy of the form is available by request to email vpf.grant.enquiries@justice.vic.gov.au. For claim enquiries please contact us via our General enquiry online form.
• send a copy of your draft application for feedback by email at the above address before submitting a formal application.
• post the signed formal application and any attachments to:

Victorian Property Fund Grants
Consumer Affairs Victoria
GPO Box 123
Melbourne VIC 3001

• email a copy of the signed formal application (with attachments, if possible) to: vpf.grant.enquiries@justice.vic.gov.au.

If you do not have access to a computer and printer, you can order copies of the documents by calling us on 03 8684 6408.

About Victorian Property Fund grants

The Victorian Property Fund (VPF) is a trust fund established under the Estate Agents Act 1980 and administered by Consumer Affairs Victoria. Income for the fund comes from:

• licence fees and fines paid by estate agents and conveyancers
• interest on trust accounts of licensed estate agents and conveyancers
• investment income.

We administer grants and compensation claims from the VPF. For information on compensation claims, go to Compensation claims – property.

Grants from the VPF can be awarded for various property-related purposes listed under section 76(3) of the Estate Agents Act. These include:

• community education, advice or information services
• programs promoting ownership of real estate
• training estate agents and agents' representatives
• dispute resolution and advocacy services
• reviewing, reforming or researching real estate law
• reviewing and researching the real estate market
• housing assistance for low income or disadvantaged Victorians
• developing environmentally sustainable housing
• protecting Victoria's natural and architectural heritage.

The VPF grants program has a limited budget. Some funding areas are more favoured than others and in practice, not all the above purposes are regularly funded. For example, projects that develop more affordable housing for low income and disadvantaged Victorians are preferred over research projects or programs that promote ownership of property.

How are grants awarded?

The Minister for Consumer Affairs awards grants from the Victorian Property Fund after consulting with:

•  the Department of Government Services
• relevant industry associations, government departments and other bodies.

Consumer Affairs Victoria's recommendations are based on:

• the project's eligibility under section 76(3) of the Estate Agents Act
• the extent to which the project will contribute to desired government outcomes and benefit the community
• whether the project provides a value-for-money use of the fund, including cost effectiveness and whether other funding sources are available
• whether the project can be evaluated against agreed performance indicators
• whether the application clearly establishes that there are demonstrated and substantial project outputs
• whether the applicant satisfactorily demonstrates that the proposal is feasible and that they have the capacity to deliver the outputs
• the applicant's record of achievement as a provider of relevant services or products
• the budgetary limits on the total funds available.

How long does it take to award grants?

This depends on the amount of funding sought and the complexity of the proposal. In most cases, a simple proposal for a grant of less than $100,000 will take about three months. A larger and more complex application can take six months or longer.

You will need to apply for your grant in time to allow for this. Your application cannot be considered if your program or project is due to start before assessment is complete.

Who can apply for a Victorian Property Fund grant?

Anybody can apply. Past grant recipients include government departments and agencies, and not-for-profit community organisations.

Grants of $20,000 (GST exclusive) or more to organisations can only be made to incorporated bodies and government and semi-government bodies.

Previous grant recipients

Note: Value is reported exclusive of GST as representing the net cost to the Fund.

Grants approved in 2018-19

Grants approved in 2017-18

Grants approved in 2016-17