Housing information campaign resources

We’re helping more Australians and permanent residents buy their own home. The home buyer schemes are designed to make home ownership more achievable for more people. 

5% Deposit Scheme

What is it? 

The program helps you buy your first home with a minimum 5% deposit, or 2% for single parents or legal guardians.

What are the benefits? 

• buy with a lower deposit 
• own your home sooner 
• no income caps 
• save on upfront costs
• unlimited program spots and no waiting list.

Who is eligible? 

• Australian citizens and permanent residents who are 18 years and older 
• first home buyers with a minimum 5% deposit, or single parents and single legal guardians with a 2% deposit.  

To be eligible, you will also need to: 

• buy a home in Australia that is priced at or below the location's price cap 
• live in the property 
• have not owned another property in Australia (including land) in the last 10 years. 

For the full eligibility criteria and more information about the Scheme, visit firsthomebuyers.gov.au.

First Home Super Saver Scheme

What is it? 

The program lets you make extra voluntary contributions of up to $50,000 (you can contribute up to $15,000 per year) plus associated earnings to your super fund, growing your savings faster and helping you buy sooner.

What are the benefits? 

• flexible contributions - choose how and when you contribute 
• use with other government home buying programs 
• buy your first home with a partner, sibling or friend.

Who is eligible? 

To use the program, you must: 

• be 18 years or older
• have never owned a property in Australia before
• plan to live in the home you buy or build 
• have made eligible voluntary contributions to your super 
• have not used the program before. 

For the full eligibility criteria and more information about the Scheme, visit the ATO website.

Help to Buy Scheme

What is it? 

A new program where the Australian Government contributes towards the purchase price of your home.

What are the benefits? 

• the Australian Government contributes up to 40% towards your home purchase price 
• buy your home with as little as a 2% deposit and smaller mortgage repayments 
• open to both first and previous homeowners. 

Who is eligible?

To use the program, you must: 

• be 18 years or older
• have a minimum 2% deposit
• be an Australian citizen
• have an annual taxable income that is less than $100,000 for individuals or $160,000 for single parents and joint applicants
• live in the home
• cannot own any other property in Australia or overseas. 

For the full eligibility criteria and more information about the Scheme, visit firsthomebuyers.gov.au.
 

Jon and Kristen: Hello. Welcome to our home. 
Jon: Come on in. 
Kristen: So, this is our lovely kitchen and dining room where we make our coffees in the morning. 
So, this is our little courtyard. And you can just imagine a nice big table full of family and friends. 
Owning a home for us really started probably about a year and a half ago. 
Jon: Pop-in-ability was one thing that was important. 
Kristen: Yeah, we really wanted a home where people can pop by. 
So yeah, we coined pop-in-ability. 
An apartment was really, probably, all that we could afford before the Scheme changed. 
And that really kind of opened doors for us, for sure. 
It would have taken us a long time to save for that, this 5% deposit scheme. 
There's just all of this, like extra stuff you talk about once you buy a home, like new garden, like your DIY. 
Jon: We're just in our 30s now, my love. 
Kristen: I mean it's definitely that as well. 
The most immediate thing that we’ll do is just change the paint. 
Jon: We were sitting here the other day and we looked around. There's 11 different shades of paint in this one room. 
Kristen: Eleven?! 
Jon: Let's make that like 2 or 3 and we’re good. 
Kristen: There's this huge barrier to buying a first home. The 5% Scheme just made it 
quite easy to just take one of these additional stresses out. 
I was just, like, you know, elated that we had somewhere that was our own. 
Jon and Kristen: See you later. Goodbye. Thanks for coming.

London: Hi. Welcome to my house. Come on in. 
So, this is our living room. Our lovely kitchen. 
Couch where we watch all our movies on. 
This is our outdoor area where Sheldon lives, where we have our coffees in the morning. 
Over here is our bedroom. I doom scroll there. 
My name is London. I live in Fortitude Valley, and I am a digital communications specialist. 
So, I had a surgery that was life saving for me. And I spent my home deposit on my surgery. 
We first heard about the scheme from our broker. She was amazing. She really informed us about things that we didn't know about. 
The first day that we got to actually move in to the property was amazing. It's really nice to have our own space and get to do whatever we want with it. I can paint if I want to. 
It was our house. We're homeowners. Meow is in the word. 
I also have a cat, so. He's really settled in here. Around here somewhere. 
Without the scheme, I don't think home ownership would have been on the table. 
I love that I'm building a life with my husband here, and it's just really lovely. 
Thanks for visiting our home. Bye

Shemil: Hi, welcome to my apartment. Come on in.
It was a long-term goal of mine, but with this 5% deposit scheme, it's become my short-term goal and I achieved it.
So this is my kitchen, dining area, living area, not much stuff yet because I just moved in. 
So I'm Shemil. I'm working as a poultry nutritionist.
So I just started my employment.
I didn't have much savings.
That's the main doubt I had before knowing about the 5% deposit scheme.
So I heard about this one around August and I moved into my house November 19th.
And this is my bedroom. It has a very good natural lighting. I love it.
Study room, the place where I write research papers, reading research papers and sometimes watching movies.
Some people, they would like to buy a house but they don't have big savings with them.
I feel like, yeah wow, it's a big milestone in my life.
Thanks for coming.
Bye bye.
 

Unlock the door to your first home sooner.

With the expanded Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, income caps have now been removed, and a wider range of homes are available, bringing home ownership in reach for more Australians.

To be eligible, you must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Be at least 18 years old.

Have saved at least 5% deposit of the property value, or 2% for single parents or single legal guardians.

Have not owned any property, including land in Australia in the last ten years or for single parents or legal guardians do not currently own any property, with some exceptions, be purchasing a home to live in with a purchase price under the price caps.

These are the application steps.

One.

Check your eligibility.

Use Housing Australia's quick online eligibility tool.

Two.

Contact a participating lender.

They'll guide you through your options and the application process.

Three.

Apply.

If you applications approved, you'll be ready to find your first home.

To see the full eligibility list and to explore other government home ownership schemes available, visit firsthomebuyers.gov.au

Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.

Leah Bennett – Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa women, CEO First Nations Foundations. 

Leah Bennett:  The Australian Government has a range of schemes to make home ownership possible for more people.

The 5% Deposit Scheme helps eligible home buyers with a minimum deposit of 5% or 2% for eligible single parents and guardians to purchase a home with no lenders mortgage insurance. 

There is also the Help to Buy Scheme, where the Australian Government can contribute up to 30% of the purchase price for existing homes, and up to 40% for new homes.

For more information visit firsthomebuyers.gov.au 

Leah Bennett – Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa women, CEO First Nations Foundations. 
Elaine Crombie – Yankunytjatjara and Warrigmay women, South Sea Islander, German descent women and Artist

Elaine: Hello I’m Elaine, I am a Yankunytjatjara and Warrigmay women, South Sea Islander, German women. 
Leah: My name is Leah Bennett, and proud Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa women, CEO First Nations Foundations.
Elaine: We’re here yarning about the 5% Deposit and Help to Buy Schemes to help people get into the property market.
We know that home ownership is something a lot of people might thing will not be possible given housing prices in this day and age. 
So, if you are someone who is thinking about buying a home, you’re going to want to hear this. 
What do you think owning a home means to our mob? 
Leah: Yeah, I think it’s important to recognise the fact that mob haven’t had the opportunity to fully participate in the economy, and that it’s really only the last 50 years that we’ve been able to really start thinking about how we want to do that in a really meaningful way.
And the three major ways we can do that is through home ownership, superannuation and owning a business. 
So yeah, buying a home is a fantastic opportunity to create intergenerational wealth for mob, sustainability for community and your family. 
And yeah, just being able to have a safe place to call your own I think is so important.

Elaine:  So, in the early stages of home ownership what do you think are some of the things we should consider? 
Leah: Yeah, I think it’s important to understand how financial literacy plays a huge role in that sustainability. 
Being able to ensure that you understand budgeting, what interest rates are, and the financial commitment long-term is really important. 
So, getting those foundational kind of things in place before even considering home ownership is important.
Because what we don’t want is mob to get into debt.
Elaine:  Yeah. 
Leah:   And ensure that they can make repayments and life a comfortable lifestyle. 
Elaine:  Yeah, because that financial literacy is, that’s a huge thing. For some people home ownership just seems so far away, because we just need to work out what we’re having for dinner tonight. 
Leah: Yeah, that’s it.
Elaine: It’s a big, to add on things like loan repayments, insurances, it’s a whole gamut of things. 
Leah: Yeah, and it’s a really important thing, right? How do you think about thriving when you are in a place of just trying to survive? 
And so really again building upon those core foundations of financial literally in order to set yourself up. 
And I think even too, like how you interact with the financial services sector with confidence. 
So, if you want to call a bank to explore your options around home ownership do you feel confident in speaking their language and really understanding, I mean a lit of major banks have Indigenous call centres, which is fantastic. 
Elaine: Ok, I didn’t know that I’m learning something. 
Leh: If mob want to call up a bank and they want to feel safe and not judged they can always access those Indigenous banking call centres to have a yarn, a casual yarn and get the right support. 
Elaine: Yeah, that’s really interesting. Yeah, I did not know that that’s good. 
Leah: Yeah, it’s great to have home ownership as a goal and it’s great to know that these resources are available to you when that time comes. 
It’s really important to consider what sustainability looks like for you and so you can manage.
But you also want to be able to live a good life. 
You don’t want to be tied down to just making mortgage repayments.
You also want to be able to invest in your future while also living now.
Elaine: Thanks for the yarn today, Leah. It was deadly. 
For more inf of the Help to Buy and the 5% Deposit Schemes and eligibility, visit firsthomebuyers.gov.au. 

Leah Bennett – Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa women, CEO First Nations Foundations. 
Elaine Crombie – Yankunytjatjara and Warrigmay women, South Sea Islander, German descent women and Artist

Elaine: Hello I’m Elaine, I am a Yankunytjatjara and Warrigmay women, South Sea Islander, German women. 
Leah: My name is Leah Bennett, and proud Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa women, CEO First Nations Foundations.
Elaine: We’re here yarning about the 5% Deposit Schemes to help people get into the property market.
We know that home ownership is something a lot of people might think will not be possible given housing prices in this day and age.
So, if you are someone who is thinking about buying a home, you’re going to want to hear this. 
In regard to the 5% Deposit Scheme, how does it work?
Leah: Yeah, I think it is really important to highlight that saving a 20% deposit is probably not possible for a lot of people these days. 
And so, the really great thing about the 5% Deposit Scheme, it helps eligible buyers to purchase a home with only 5% deposit or for eligible singles, only 2% deposit. 
Elaine: What about people’s income, what they're earning? 

Leah, yeah that’s a really great question. So, in October 2025, they actually removed the income cap, which means it’s more accessible for people now. 
Eliane: So, Leah, wat are the requirements for eligibility? 
Leah: Yeah, so obviously there’s eligibility requirements as with anything. 
You obviously have to be over the age of 18, an Australian citizen. But there is a lot to remember. 
So, the best thing to do is to jump on the website at firsthomebuyers.gov.au.

Text on Screen: 
You may be eligible if you:
-    Are buying your first home
-    Have not owned property or land in Australian in the last 10 years
-    Are an Australian citizen or permanent resident
-    Will live in the property
-    Have saved a minimum deposit of %% (or 2% if you qualify for the single parent stream)
-    Are purchasing a property within the relevant price cap for your location. 

Leah Bennett – Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa women, CEO First Nations Foundations. 
Elaine Crombie – Yankunytjatjara and Warrigmay women, South Sea Islander, German descent women and Artist

Elaine: Hello I’m Elaine, I am a Yankunytjatjara and Warrigmay, South Sea Islander, German descent women. 
Leah: My name is Leah Bennett, and proud Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa women, CEO First Nations Foundations.
Elaine: We’re here to yarn about the Australian Government’s Help to Buy Scheme.
Getting a foot on the property ladder is something that might not seem possible for a lot of people.
Let’s see how this scheme might be able to help. 
So, what’s the Help to Buy Scheme all about? 
Leah: Yeah, the Help to Buy Scheme is really great, because the Australian Government will actually contribute up to 30% of the purchase price of an existing property or 40% for a new home. 
And that means you only need as little as a 2% deposit and can have smaller mortgage repayments. 
Elaine: Wow, and who is eligible for that? 
Leah: So, some of the eligibility requirements is, obviously you need to be over the age of 18, you can’t currently own a home, and it can’t be an investment property. 
Elaine: For more info visit firsthomebuyers.gov.au.

Text on screen:
You may be eligible if you:
-    Are an Australian citizen aged over 18 years or over
-    Do not currently own any property in Australia or overseas, with some exceptions for single parents
-    Will live in the property
-    Have saved at least 2% deposit of the property’s purchase price
-    Earns $100,000 or less per year for single applicants, or $160,000 or less for joint applicants and single parents 
-    Are purchasing a property within the relevant price cap for your location.

Leah Bennett – Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa women, CEO First Nations Foundations. 

Elaine Crombie – Yankunytjatjara and Warrigmay women, South Sea Islander, German descent women and Artist

Elaine: Hello, I’m Elaine, I am a Yankunytjatjara and Warrigmay, South Sea Islander, German descent women. 

Leah: My name is Leah Bennett, and proud Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa women, CEO First Nations Foundations.

Elaine: We’re here yarning about the 5% Deposit and Help to Buy Scheme to help people get into the property market.

So, Leah, we’ve had some big discussion today. 

What important things do you think mob should consider or know about buying a home? 

Leah: Buying a home is probably one of the biggest investments someone will make in their life and I think it’s really important to ensure that you’re getting sound financial advice. 

There are so many things to take into consideration when buying a home. 

It’s not just about interest rates or repayments but there are also legal fess that you have to consider upfront, conveyances, things like that, that’s really important.

It’s also additional extras that go onto home loans, that you don’t consider, and additional services and support that can come along with that. 

So having a look at these schemes that the government has in place, you can find information on there to first work out whether or not you’re eligible and then exploring the option of going to a financial advisor to say, “hey I think these things might be right for me, can we sit down and have a yarn and understand what scheme might work for me for my long-term aspirations of purchasing a home.”

Elaine: Yeah.

Leah:  You don’t want owning a home to be stressful. 

It should be something that you’re well prepared for and that you can face some of the challenges. 

So, we know things like interest rates change over time. 

You’re not always locked into the same interest rate and so can you account for those fluctuations when that happens.

Yeah, so there’s upfront fees and costs associated with the process obviously and some administration. 

So, you can go to the website to find more information. 

Elaine: Awesome. Thanks for the yarn today, Leah. It was deadly. 

For more info on the Help to Buy and 5% Deposit Schemes and eligibility, visit firsthomebuyers.gov.au 

For many Australians, owning a home feels far away. 
But now, all first home buyers can access the expanded Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme.  
Income caps have been removed, and a wider range of homes now eligible.
Bringing home ownership in reach for more Australians.  
If you weren’t eligible before, you now could be.
To see if you could buy with a 5% deposit, visit firsthomebuyers.gov.au

Australian Government
5% Deposit Scheme
Visit firsthomebuyers.gov.au
Australian Government Crest
Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.

All first home buyers can now access the expanded Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme.
With no income caps and a wider range of eligible homes.
To learn more visit firsthomebuyers.gov.au
Australian Government
5% Deposit Scheme
Visit firsthomebuyers.gov.au
Australian Government Crest
Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.

For many Australians, home ownership feels far away.     
But now there’s a new way to own your own home.
Where the Australian Government contributes up to 40% of the price    of the home.
So, you have a smaller deposit and lower mortgage repayments.
It’s a pathway to home ownership backed by the Australian Government.  
It’s called the Help to Buy Scheme and it could help you too.
For eligibility visit firsthomebuyers.gov.au  
Australian Government
Help to Buy Scheme
Visit firsthomebuyers.gov.au
Australian Government Crest
Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.

There’s a new way to own your own home.  
With the Help to Buy Scheme, the Australian Government can contribute up to 40% of the purchase price.

To learn more visit: firsthomebuyers.gov.au  
Australian Government
Help to Buy Scheme
Visit firsthomebuyers.gov.au
Australian Government Crest
Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.