Mortgage brokers are set to play a bigger role in 2026 as Housing Australia steps up its backing for homeownership and affordable housing, with more funding, expanded mandates, and major scheme changes on the way.
Housing Australia’s 2024–25 Annual Report shows the agency supported the delivery of more than 58,000 homes over the year, benefiting an estimated 100,000 Australians. That included 279 contracts under the Housing Australia Future Fund Facility (HAFFF) and National Housing Accord Facility (NHAF), backing 18,650 new social and affordable homes – already close to half the Australian government’s five‑year target of 40,000 dwellings.
Since its inception in 2020, the Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) has now helped more than 230,000 people into homeownership, with over 60,000 supported in 2024–25 alone. Combined with the upcoming Help to Buy program and changes to scheme settings from October 2025, brokers can expect more clients asking how to use government support to get into the market with smaller deposits and looser income caps.
Housing Australia will open Round 3 of HAFFF and NHAF in late January, targeting the remaining 21,350 social and affordable homes needed to reach the 40,000‑home goal by 2029. Earlier rounds, just 17 months into a 60‑month window, have already backed 18,650 homes, with nearly 10,000 under construction.
Housing Australia’s role has expanded significantly since October 2023, when its Investment Mandate was updated to give the agency responsibility for helping to deliver 40,000 social and affordable homes over five years via the HAFFF and NHAF.
In November 2024, the mandate was further amended to allow $1 billion from the National Housing Infrastructure Facility (NHIF) to be directed to crisis and transitional accommodation and social housing for priority cohorts through the NHIF Crisis and Transitional (NHIF CT) stream.
In the 2025–26 federal budget, the government also raised Housing Australia’s statutory liability cap from $10 billion to $26 billion, greatly increasing the amount of lending and guarantees it can support across its various programs.
From 2026, Housing Australia will group all its social and affordable products under a single Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) banner – covering social and affordable, crisis and transitional, and critical infrastructure streams – to simplify access for governments, CHPs, financiers, and their broker partners.
The Home Guarantee Scheme continues to be one of the most visible touchpoints for mortgage brokers. In 2024–25:
From 1 October 2025, the government has committed to major changes that will widen eligibility even further:
The Help to Buy shared‑equity program is also moving from design to delivery.
As part of the 2025–26 federal budget, the government allocated an additional $800 million to Help to Buy, taking total investment to $6.3 billion. On 13 June 2025, program directions for the Help to Buy Scheme were formally registered, enabling Housing Australia to finalise operational readiness ahead of its launch later this year.
The government has now confirmed that Help to Buy will commence on 5 December, with Housing Australia CEO Scott Langford (pictured) saying the program will help “Australians achieve the dream of homeownership.” Under the scheme, eligible borrowers will be able to purchase with as little as a 2% deposit, while the government contributes up to 40% of the price for new homes or 30% for existing homes, with no ongoing repayment required on the government’s share unless the owner chooses to buy it back or sells.
Eligibility will initially target individual incomes up to $100,000 and joint incomes up to $160,000, with both first‑time buyers and existing homeowners able to apply. Places are capped at 10,000 per year (40,000 over four years), and the scheme will roll out first in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, the ACT and the Northern Territory, with Western Australia and Tasmania to follow once local legislation is in place.
Help to Buy will launch with Commonwealth Bank and Bank Australia as the initial participating lenders, with more lenders expected to join over time. Housing price caps will vary by region – from $1.3 million in Sydney’s central area, $1 million in Brisbane and Canberra, and $950,000 in central Melbourne, down to lower caps across “rest of state” markets – giving brokers clear boundaries to work within when structuring purchases for clients.
Housing Australia says it “look[s] forward to delivering the Help to Buy Scheme in partnership with Participating Lenders to support more Australians to achieve home ownership.”
Broker feedback already points to a “flurry of activity” from buyers looking to move before possible 2026 price rises, with Help to Buy expected to add to momentum from the 5% deposit scheme and three rate cuts in 2025.
Beyond homeownership schemes, Housing Australia continues to channel large volumes of capital into the social and affordable housing system, with important implications for rental supply and community housing partnerships.
In 2024–25 alone, the agency:
The report highlights several notable CHP developments:
Since its establishment, Housing Australia reports:
These figures point to a rapidly scaling institution that is increasingly influential in how housing supply, infrastructure, and affordability evolve.
To deliver on its expanded remit, Housing Australia has been building internal capability. In 2024–25 it welcomed 76 new employees, bringing total staff to 180 as at 30 June 2025.
Key leadership moves included:
The report notes that “with continued support from the Australian government, we are well positioned to help shape a more inclusive, resilient, sustainable and accessible housing system” and emphasises ongoing collaboration with all levels of government, CHPs, participating lenders, and the broader financial sector.
As Housing Australia itself puts it, the organisation enters the year ahead with “a clear purpose, strong momentum, and the trust of the Australian Government and partners across the housing sector” – and brokers will be a key part of turning that policy and funding into real outcomes for buyers on the ground.
To see the media release and access the full Housing Australia annual report, follow this link.
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