Home Ownership Program

The Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) Home Ownership Program (HOP) assists Indigenous Australians to achieve home ownership by providing concessional home loans that feature:

  • low deposit requirements
  • low interest rates that gradually increase until they reach a rate one per cent below market variable interest rates for owner occupied homes
  • standard loan terms of up to 32 years that may be extended to 45 years to assist loan affordability.

Most HOP loans are offered to first home buyers who have the capacity to repay a long term loan and are unable to secure finance from a bank or other home lending institution. Eligible applicants can apply for a loan to purchase an established residential property, to buy land and construct a new home, or to make essential improvements to an existing home.

IBA requires some applicants to source a portion of their required loan funding from alternative lending institutions.

To be considered for a HOP loan you must be at least 18 years of age, and at least one applicant must be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent.

As the high demand for finance exceeds current available funding, IBA has a two-step loan application process. Applicants must first apply for placement on IBA’s Expression of Interest Register.

If your application meets initial eligibility requirements, your name will be added to our Expression of Interest Register. It is not possible to know exactly when you may be invited to apply for a loan, however based on current funding this may extend to more than 12 months.

Are you considering home ownership?

Buying a home is probably the most important and expensive purchase you will ever make.  To make an informed choice about home ownership you need to give careful thought to your current personal and financial circumstances and your plans for the future. IBA encourages you to find out more about:

You can find additional information in our Home Ownership fact sheet (PDF 198KB, new window)  and Home Loans for Indigenous Australians brochure (PDF 2MB, new window).

Our friendly and experienced staff are here to help, so if you need any further advice, assistance or information please Contact Us.

 Naomi and John Bonson at their family home

Naomi and John Bonson found out they were expecting a child just months after getting married. So they decided to approach IBA about getting a loan for a home in Darwin.

Read their home ownership story in full (PDF 334KB, new window)

Read more home ownership Good News Stories.