One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson has called for tighter restrictions on foreign nationals accessing Australian housing support schemes, saying that “foreigners who are not Australian citizens should not be buying Australian homes”.
Her comments follow a series of social media posts in which she criticised government-backed housing incentives, including the 5 per cent deposit scheme, arguing that taxpayer-funded programs should prioritise citizens.
“The Australian government appears to be running ads in Arabic encouraging non-citizens to use its 5% deposit first home buyers scheme,” she said in a recent post.
“Housing should be prioritised for Australian citizens first.”
She also argued that non-citizens using the scheme were contributing to rising property prices and limiting access for Australians.
The remarks come amid renewed online debate over migration and housing affordability, fuelled by viral social media posts suggesting that tens of thousands of permanent residents have accessed government home ownership assistance programs since mid-2023.
Under the federal 5 per cent deposit scheme, administered by Housing Australia, eligible buyers can enter the housing market with a smaller deposit, with the government acting as guarantor for part of the loan to avoid lenders mortgage insurance.
Since eligibility was expanded to include permanent residents, more than 48,000 have reportedly used the scheme, according to Housing Australia figures.
The program has also been widened in recent years, with increased property price caps, removal of income limits, and expanded participation across participating lenders.
Officials say the scheme has helped more than 300,000 Australians into home ownership since its introduction, including key workers, regional buyers, and young households.
However, critics argue that eligibility rules still allow permanent residents to access grants even if they may own property overseas, raising concerns about fairness and transparency in the system.
Housing policy experts note that while migrants contribute to housing demand, there is limited public data tracking overseas property ownership among applicants.
The debate has intensified online, where posts questioning migrant eligibility for first home buyer support have gained traction and sparked wider political discussion about immigration, housing affordability, and citizenship-based access to government assistance.
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