Help to Buy Recorded 7,261 Active Applications by June 2026

Short summary

Help to Buy recorded 7,261 active applications and 4,808 approved applications in its first seven months, according to a Housing Australia capability assessment published by Treasury on 30 August 2026.

The figures cover December 2025 to 30 June 2026. They do not mean 7,261 households had bought homes or that 72.6% of the year's 10,000 available places were settled.

The report says active applications exclude applications that were cancelled, withdrawn or expired. Including those categories, Housing Australia had received 9,203 applications. An approved application can still depend on the applicant finding a home and completing lender and Housing Australia steps.

Read the updated Help to Buy guide for the current 2026-27 income thresholds and participating lenders. Use the Property Purchase Cost Calculator to estimate transaction costs separately from the scheme contribution.

The figures to 30 June 2026

The report also contains a settlement row printed as 3.636, alongside a 12-month extrapolation of 6,233. The punctuation and extrapolation suggest the intended actual may be 3,636, but the table prints a full stop rather than a comma. This article does not treat 3,636 as a confirmed settlement count without a corrected source.

The 12-month figures in the report are extrapolations from seven months of operation. They are not actual results and should not be presented as forecasts or available places already taken.

Active, approved and settled are different stages

The labels matter because Help to Buy has several decision points.

An active application is not the same as a home-loan approval, final scheme approval or settlement. The report excludes applications that were cancelled, withdrawn or expired from this count.

The report's note says approved applications depend on applicants finding homes. Once pre-approved by a lender, applicants generally have 90 days to find a home and sign a contract. The application then goes to Housing Australia for final approval.

The official Help to Buy FAQ describes the sequence this way:

1. A participating lender assesses the home loan and scheme application.
2. A conditional approval can reserve a place for up to 90 days, with a possible extension in some cases.
3. The applicant finds a property and satisfies lender and scheme requirements.
4. The lender submits the final property and application information.
5. Housing Australia can issue final approval before settlement.

This is why the 4,808 approved applications should not automatically be called completed purchases.

How uptake changed from January

Housing Australia said that by 31 January 2026, two months after launch, more than 2,356 places had been conditionally or fully approved and 278 households had purchased homes.

The new report covers a later date and uses its own table labels. It records 4,808 approved applications by 30 June. The two releases show the program moving beyond its launch phase, but their categories should not be combined into a growth rate without confirming that the definitions are identical.

The capability assessment notes that the program had operated for only seven months of the 2025-26 financial year and that unused places can be carried forward between years. A shortfall against a simple monthly run rate would therefore not establish that places were lost.

Current 2026-27 income thresholds

Help to Buy income thresholds were indexed from 1 July 2026.

The official site says each applicant must supply the most recent ATO Notice of Assessment and remain within the applicable taxable-income threshold. A website article or calculator cannot determine eligibility.

The program still requires a minimum 2% deposit, but applicants must generally contribute as much as they can reasonably afford. A participating lender assesses the home loan and the applicant's financial capacity.

Participating lenders have expanded

The February Housing Australia update named Commonwealth Bank and Bank Australia as the two participating lenders at launch.

The current official lender page lists six brands:

• Bank Australia;
• Commonwealth Bank;
• Teachers Mutual Bank;
• Health Professionals Bank;
• Firefighters Mutual Bank; and
• UniBank.

The last four are brands within Teachers Mutual Bank Limited. Applicants still need to use a participating lender. Applications cannot be submitted directly to Housing Australia.

What the report means for buyers

The uptake data shows that Help to Buy has moved from launch into a larger active application and approval pipeline. It does not answer whether a particular person qualifies, whether a place is available today or whether a lender will approve a requested loan.

For a practical scenario, separate four figures:

• the buyer's cash deposit;
• the government equity contribution;
• the home loan assessed by the participating lender; and
• purchase costs such as transfer duty, conveyancing, inspections and registration fees.

The Deposit Savings Calculator can model a savings target. The Borrowing Power Calculator provides a general serviceability scenario, not a lender decision. The LMI Calculator is not needed to estimate a Help to Buy premium because the scheme does not charge LMI, but it can show an indicative non-scheme comparison.

What remains uncertain

• The report's settlement actual is printed as 3.636, so the exact count needs correction or confirmation.
• The report's extrapolated figures are not actual results or forecasts.
• Active applications, conditional approvals, final approvals and settled purchases are not interchangeable.
• The figures stop at 30 June 2026 and do not show current place availability.
• A participating lender and Housing Australia apply current rules to each application.
• Property caps, documents, timing and applicant circumstances can affect the process.

Sources

• Treasury: Housing Australia Capability Assessment Report, published 30 August 2026 and checked 1 September 2026. Table 1 reports Help to Buy performance to 30 June 2026.
• First Home Buyers: Help to Buy income and threshold updates 2026-27, effective 1 July 2026 and checked 1 September 2026.
• First Home Buyers: Help to Buy frequently asked questions, checked 1 September 2026.
• First Home Buyers: Help to Buy participating lenders, checked 1 September 2026.
• Housing Australia: Australians begin moving into homes purchased under Help to Buy, published 10 February 2026.

General information disclaimer

This article provides general information about an official report and published scheme settings. It is not financial advice, credit advice, legal advice, an eligibility decision, a loan approval, a property recommendation or an official Housing Australia determination. Scheme settings and availability may change. Check the official site and speak with a participating lender before relying on the information.

Last updated: 1 September 2026.