The federal government’s new shared equity home ownership scheme has approved 2,356 applications since launching in December.
The Australian Government’s Help to Buy Scheme, which launched on 5 December 2025, has conditionally or fully approved over 2,356 places for Australian home buyers.
The means-tested housing scheme aims to make home ownership more accessible for Australians by splitting the upfront costs of buying or building a home with the federal government.
Under Help to Buy, the Australian government contributes up to 40 per cent of the purchase price for new homes and up to 30 per cent for existing homes, lowering the amount buyers need to borrow and reducing the deposit required.
Ten thousand places are available each year under the scheme, which is open to both first home buyers and those returning to home ownership who have a minimum deposit of 2 per cent.
According to Housing Australia – the body in charge of the scheme – 278 Australians have so far purchased a home using Help to Buy, while more than 2,078 are preparing to buy.
As of 31 January, nearly three-quarters (64 per cent) of applications have come from single applicants, while 10 per cent have come from single parents.
The median deposit put forward for the scheme is $29,000, which Housing Australia said showed that the scheme is helping Australians with smaller savings take the first step into home ownership.
Speaking of the first Help to Buy uptake, Housing Australia CEO Scott Langford commented: "The early success of Help to Buy shows just how important this Scheme is for Australians who aspire to own a home but face significant financial hurdles. We're proud to see people already moving into homes and many more approved and ready to buy."
Alia Ayoub, executive leader for Help to Buy, added: "This is about creating real opportunities for Australians. The strong response and rapid uptake demonstrate that Help to Buy is working as intended, making home ownership achievable for thousands of people."
The Help to Buy scheme is currently only available through two lenders: the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Bank Australia. However, only Bank Australia is enabling mortgage brokers access to Help to Buy loans.
Housing Australia has said it is working to expand the lender panel for Help to Buy in order to increase choice and accessibility for home buyers across the country.
It is expected that more lenders will join the Help to Buy scheme panel between March 2026 and June 2026. Speaking at the Looking Ahead webinar hosted by the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) on Tuesday (10 February), Federal Minister for Housing, The Hon Clare O'Neil MP, said the lending panel for Help to Buy would soon be expanded to support greater competition and more options for first home buyers.
“We see mortgage brokers as key partners in delivery, partners in competition, partners in access and partners in helping Australians turn aspiration into [home] ownership,” the Minister said.
The Help to Buy scheme is currently available in all states and territories except for Tasmania, which has yet to pass enabling legislation to participate in the scheme. However, some brokers have warned that limited lender participation, restrictive price caps – especially in regional areas – and the exclusion of brokers from some channels risk driving up prices in a tight market and may limit the scheme’s overall impact.
[Related: Help to Buy launches in WA]
