Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

Can I thank Senator Bilyk for her very insightful question, and I have some answers to those issues that you have raised. A decade of inaction by the former Liberal-National government left us with significant housing challenges right across the country, but the Albanese government has hit the ground running on housing, delivering immediate action along with an ambitious reform agenda. That is why the budget delivered new action to help Australian renters, expand opportunities for homeownership and bolster frontline homelessness services.

The budget will help more Australians into home ownership through a significant expansion of eligibility criteria for the Home Guarantee Scheme. Under these changes, friends, siblings and other family members will be eligible for joint applications under the First Home Guarantee and the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee. These guarantees will also be expanded for non-first homebuyers who haven't owned a property in Australia in the last 10 years.