Australia news live: Julian Hill claims Labor has ‘won the debate’ on housing tax changes; homelessness soars in NSW

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Housing Australia officials have revealed 2,589 applications had been approved under Labor’s Help to Buy scheme.

Alia Ayoub, executive leader of the Help to Buy scheme, told Senate estimates it had received 5,323 applications from 5 December 2025 to 30 April 2026, of which 2,589 applications had “found a home”.

We had a forecast that we would do 10,000 applications in a year. However, the scheme started on the 5th of December. Had it been running for the full year, it would receive the 10,000.

We don’t know whether that will be a cost or a benefit to the balance sheet of the commonwealth at this point. If house prices continue to grow gradually over time, it will actually benefit the commonwealth.