The federal government program has ushered more than 300,000 Australians into the market, reshaping the entry‑level lending landscape while stoking concerns about rising debt loads. Housing Australia has confirmed that more than 300,000 Australians have now bought or built a home with support from the Australian government 5 per cent Deposit Scheme. Launched in early 2020 with a relatively small allocation of places, the scheme has evolved into a mainstream feature of the mortgage market.

According to Housing Australia, almost 60,000 essential workers – including teachers, nurses, and emergency services staff – had secured a home with support from the scheme.

The regional footprint is also significant, with more than 99,000 scheme participants living in regional Australia – a figure the agency pointed to as evidence that the guarantee was bolstering smaller cities and country towns.

The data showed that nearly 6,000 single women with dependants had used the scheme and that around half of all buyers accessing the guarantee were under 30.

Women also make up roughly half of all participants overall.

On the supply side, Housing Australia reported that close to 30,000 newly constructed homes had been delivered with the backing of the guarantee.

In a housing environment marked by tight rental conditions and a backlog in building activity, that pipeline of new stock is being held up as a key policy achievement.

Eligibility changes introduced from mid‑2023 brought permanent residents into the fold, with the rules also adjusted to open the scheme to a broader range of joint borrowers, including family members and friends buying together.

Since those tweaks, more than 48,000 permanent residents have been supported by the scheme, along with over 2,700 family‑and‑friend group applicants purchasing as co‑owners.

Housing Australia said that these patterns reflected how household structures and purchasing strategies were shifting in response to high prices and borrowing constraints.

The most dramatic step change arrived in October 2025, when the government scrapped income caps, increased property price caps, and removed the previous limit on the number of guarantees available.

These settings mean that for borrowers who meet the criteria, the scheme now functions as an ongoing option, opening the way for a larger and steadier flow of loans.