Australias 5 Percent Deposit Scheme Surpasses 300,000 Buyers: Is It Inflating the Crisis It Claims to Solve?

A sold sign on a real estate board advertising residential property in Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 1, 2017. William West/AFP via Getty ImagesMore than 300,000 Australians have now entered the property market via the Australian Government’s 5 Percent Deposit Scheme, but record participation is fuelling a heated debate over whether the program is helping first-home buyers or inadvertently driving up entry-level prices.Data released this week by Housing Australia reveals that 48,000 permanent residents have utilised the scheme since eligibility was expanded in 2023.