MEDIA RELEASE

THE HON SHAYNE NEUMANN MP, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR BLAIR

The Albanese Labor Government will help more Australians into home ownership sooner through a significant expansion of criteria for the Home Guarantee Scheme.

Prospective home buyers in Blair will be able to join the more than 2,100 people locally who have already taken advantage of the scheme in the electorate to purchase more than 1,400 homes.

The Home Guarantee Scheme allows eligible Australians to purchase a home with as little as two percent deposit and avoid paying Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance – potentially saving thousands of dollars on a new home.

Eligibility criteria for all elements of the scheme – including the First Home Guarantee, the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee, and the Family Home Guarantee – will be expanded as the Government continues to address Australia’s housing challenges.

From 1 July this year, friends, siblings, and other family members will be eligible for joint applications under the First Home Guarantee and the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee. These guarantees had previously been restricted to people that were married or in a de-facto relationship, in addition to single applicants.

The guarantees will also be expanded to non-first home buyers who haven’t owned a property in Australia in the last ten years. This will support those who have fallen out of homeownership, often due to financial crisis or relationship breakdown. 

Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said households have changed and the Albanese Government is moving to meet the times. 

“We know friends and family members are already teaming up to secure their own place to call home,” he said.

“Our actions will allow them to access vital assistance, just as couples have been able to previously.”

Eligibility will also change for the Family Home Guarantee, expanding it from single natural or adoptive parents to eligible borrowers who are single legal guardians of children such as aunts, uncles and grandparents. 

“These are sensible changes that will help ensure more families across Ipswich, the Somerset Region and Karana Downs area have a safe and secure place to call home,” Mr Neumann said.

All three guarantees will also become available to eligible borrowers who are Australian Permanent Residents, in addition to Australian citizens. 

These changes will build on last year’s increase in the number of places available and the establishment of the Albanese Government’s new Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee. 

In total, 35,000 places are available per year across the First Home Guarantee, 10,000 places per year to 30 June 2025 under the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee, and 5,000 places per year to 30 June 2025 under the Family Home Guarantee. 

The Home Guarantee Scheme is administered by the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC), to be renamed Housing Australia, in partnership with a number of participating bank and non-bank lenders.

More information on the scheme can be found on NHFIC’s website: https://www.nhfic.gov.au/support-buy-home