Housing affordability was one of the key battlegrounds of the federal election with both major parties proposing radical policies in an attempt to woo voters.
Now that Anthony Albanese has been officially sworn in as Australia’s new Prime Minister, let’s take a look at what housing policies Labor has promised the electorate.
Help to Buy scheme
First home buyers will be able to access the “Help to Buy” scheme.
Labor has promised to help you buy a house by purchasing up to 40% of it with you for new builds, and 30% for existing homes.
Eligible first home buyers would need to have saved a minimum deposit of 2%, and the scheme would be limited to individuals earning less than $90,000 or couples earning $120,000.
Under the scheme, which would be capped at 10,000 spots each year, the government would own the relevant percentage of your house that they contribute, which you could choose to buy back over time.
If your income increased above the thresholds, you’d have to start buying the government’s share back, and if you sold your home, the government would claim back its share (along with the relevant proportion of any capital gains).
Property price caps would also apply, including $950,000 in Sydney and NSW regional centres, $850,000 in Melbourne, $650,000 in Brisbane, $600,000 in ACT, and $550,000 in Perth, Adelaide, Tasmania and NT.
This new initiative does not replace the existing First Home Loan Deposit Scheme.
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How radical is this scheme?
It may look fairly out there that the government is seemingly co-investing with individuals to buy property, but this arrangement has been in place in the UK for about a decade. After being introduced by the governing Conservative party, the scheme has had over 300,000 participants with 55,000 homes purchased in the last year alone. The value of properties bought under the scheme has reached £90 billion (or AUD$159 billion).
Want to know more?
If you’re interested in understanding more about government initiatives or anything relating to your existing home loan or a potential new purchase, book in a call, we’d love to assist you.
