- Shared Equity Home Buyer Helper program to expand with new taskforce
- Taskforce is to provide recommendations to improve housing outcomes for DV survivors
- Recommendations to be a part of NSW's 2023-24 Budget
The NSW Government is looking to expand the Shared Equity Home Buyer Helper program with the addition of a new government taskforce, which will seek to improve housing outcomes for domestic violence survivors.
The Shared Home Equity Home Buyer Helper program, which launched late January of this year, is an initiative in which the NSW Government will contribute a proportion of the purchase price of a property in exchange for an equivalent interest in the property. The deposit can be as little as 2%, and the contribution can be up to 40% for a new home or 30% for an existing home.
Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison and Treasurer Daniel Mookhey will be a part of the taskforce, and provide recommendations for the 2023-24 NSW Budget.
Recommendations from the task force are set to be finalised in the coming weeks.
Per the AIHW’s latest specialist homelessness services annual report, family and domestic violence is the top reason women and children leave their homes in Australia.
Moreover, last year, the NSW Police Force recorded 33,410 reports of domestic violence related to assault incidents.
Mookhey says the NSW government is committed to increasing home ownership support for domestic and family violence victim survivors.
“Expanding the cohorts of the NSW government’s shared equity program to include domestic violence victim survivors will give those affected greater access to the safety and financial security of home ownership sooner,” he said.
According to Harrison, the taskforce will explore options to achieve the best outcome for domestic violence victim survivors when it comes to housing.
“This is one step the NSW government is taking, in what will be an ongoing path towards making New South Wales a safer place for victim survivors,” she said.
Homelessness NSW responds
Homelessness NSW has given a positive response to the NSW government’s plan to expand the Shared Equity Home Buyer Helper program.
Homelessness NSW CEO Trina Jones said, “Family and domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children.”
“Supporting victim-survivors to have a safe home will be a significant step towards reducing homelessness.”
Jones says for those who can afford to access this scheme, it will help people live in a safe home and contribute to stronger and safer communities.
“We endorse the government’s commitment to tackling homelessness and look forward to the task force’s recommendations.”
