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  • Our places
  • Home buyers and builders angle down arrow angle up arrow
    • Residential land for sale
      Residential land for sale
       Residential land for sale Sales team
      Talk to our sales team
       Talk to our sales team
    • Home buyers
      How to buy land through SLA

      Your complete guide to buying process.
      Display village

      Everything to make your dream home a reality.
      Affordable Home Purchase Scheme

      Helping low to medium income households.
      Mingle, our community development program

      Our community development program that builds thriving and sustainable communities.
      Rebates and initiatives

      Explore how our rebates can help you achieve your dreams of sustainable, affordable living.
    • Builders
      Buying methods for builders

      The Suburban Land Agency has several ways for builders to purchase land.
      Put and call

      Put and Call gives you the opportunity to secure blocks of land with an extended settlement.
  • Developers angle down arrow angle up arrow
    • Developers land for sale
      Land for sale
       Land for sale Developers current opportunities
      Current development opportunities
       Current development opportunities
    • Developers
      Developers guide

      Learn about our sales process and find land for sale.
      Why develop in Canberra

      Find out about our vision for the ACT.
      Build-to-Rent

      Growing the number of rental homes in Canberra.
      Upcoming releases

      See what's coming up in the future.
      Sales results

      Browse our latest commercial and industrial sales results.
  • Sustainability and Innovation angle down arrow angle up arrow
    • Sustainability Strategy
      Our Sustainability Strategy
       Our Sustainability Strategy Sustainability case studies
      Case Studies
       Case Studies
    • Commitment to sustainability
      Why sustainability is important

      Learn why we need to live in happy, green and prosperous communities.
      Our vision for a sustainable future

      Find out how we aim to create great places where communities thrive.
      Showcasing our innovation

      Learn about our Built Form Program that is delivering climate-wise building projects.
      Supporting you to be sustainable

      Find guides and rebates that can help you build a sustainable home.
      Sustainable case studies

      Find out how we embed sustainability into all our work.
    • Our key priorities
      Placemaking

      Learn how we use Placemaking to understand the needs of the community and the environment.
      Resilient communities

      Discover how we're protecting our communities against climate change.
      Zero emissions suburbs

      Learn how we're making the ACT the most energy efficient place in Australia.
      Responsible production and consumption

      Find out how we're transitioning to a more circular economy.
      Healthy prosperous and inclusive places

      Learn how we're improving the wellbeing of communities through design, development and engagement.
  • About us angle down arrow angle up arrow
    • Join the team
      Join the team and grow your career
       Join the team and grow your career
    • Our people
      Who we are

      Our vision, our team, our CEO and Board.
      Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples

      Learn about out Reconciliation Action Plan.
      Careers

      Help create vibrant communities and sustainable neighbourhoods for ACT.
      Sponsorships and partnerships

      We sponsor a range of organisations, activities and events.
      Awards and achievements

      View our latest awards and achievements.
    • Our work
      What we do

      Delivering residential, commercial and industrial developments.
      How we price land

      Valuations and setting reserve prices.
      Housing Strategic Action Plan

      The framework that guides our actions.
      Indicative Land Release Program

      Find out when land is likely to be made available.
      Resources

      Find all our published documents in one place.
  1. Affordable Home Purchase Scheme

How it works

Affordable homes Eligibility How it works Sign up Sale prices

Affordable homes Eligibility How it works Sign up Sale prices
Affordable Home Purchase Scheme - Helping you buy your first home

1. Check your eligibility and sign up to the mailing list

Self-assess your eligibility

Before you sign up, you should self-assess your eligibility for the Affordable Home Purchase Scheme.

Sign up

 

To find out about affordable home offerings you must sign up to the mailing list.

You’ll be asked about the type of property you’re interested in. We use this for planning purposes. It won’t limit what affordable homes you get emails about. You’ll get emails for every affordable home offering.

 

Sign up to mailing list

When you sign up, you’ll be given a Unique ID. You will need your Unique ID when you:

  • submit your interest in Affordable Home Purchase Scheme offerings
  • complete your application form if you are drawn in a ballot
  • communicate with anyone at SLA about the Affordable Home Purchase Scheme.

Each household is allowed one Unique ID. If applicants from the same household have signed up separately, you should only use one Unique ID. If you mistakenly use a second Unique ID you must notify us immediately.

An email was sent to everyone already signed up on 13 January 2023 confirming Unique IDs. If you signed up after this time, you will have received a confirmation email with your Unique ID when you registered. Please check your email inbox (including junk/spam) to locate your confirmation email with your Unique ID and keep it in a safe place.

If you can’t find your Unique ID, please contact us at [email protected].

2. Get emails about affordable home offerings

Decide which offerings you like

We’ll email you details on affordable homes as they become available. Make sure you add [email protected] to your safe senders list.

If you get an offering that you’re interested in, follow the instructions in the email to take part in the ballot.

All information we have on the affordable homes will be provided in the email. This includes details on all available plans. If you’re successful in the ballot, you’ll be able to speak to the developer and ask questions then.

There are apartments, terraces and townhouses intended to become available through the Affordable Home Purchase Scheme. Most homes will be offered off-the-plan. This means that you must buy the home before it’s been built. Depending on the type of home it can take between 6 months to 2 years to be ready to live in.

House and land packages are currently not available through the Affordable Home Purchase Scheme.

3. Take part in a ballot

Submit your details

To take part in a ballot you'll need to submit your details in an online form. Full instructions to do this will be included in the offering email. 

You must only enter a ballot once per household. Entering a ballot doesn’t guarantee that you will be able to purchase a home. The ballot process is based on random chance.

Get prepared

If you are drawn in the ballot you'll need to submit evidence to support your eligibility. You'll only have a limited time to do this, so we recommend you're prepared in case you are successful.

4. Application assessment

The number of successful places in the ballot will depend on the number of homes which are available in the offering. If you are drawn at the top of the ballot results, we'll contact you about completing an application.

Once we receive your application, we will assess if you meet the eligibility criteria.

 

5. Contact the professionals and buy your home

Wait to be contacted by the developer

If you're found eligible we'll pass your contact details on to the developer. They'll then get in contact to discuss your home purchase.

Get advice and organise your finance

Once you have been notified of being drawn in a ballot, we strongly encourage you to immediately seek independent financial and legal advice regarding property purchase. It’s important to do your own research and due diligence.

The Affordable Home Purchase Scheme does not provide loans so you will need to organise your own finance. If you’re not prepared, you may not be able to exchange contracts with the developer.

Sign contract and pay deposit

If you are satisfied with the home you are going to buy, have a conveyancing solicitor, and have organised your finances, then you can sign the contract and pay the deposit.

Wait for your home to be ready

Once the contract is signed and full deposit paid, you just need wait for the developer to complete your home and you can move in. You should be aware that most properties will take up to two years to be completed.

Further guidance

The Affordable Home Purchase Scheme offers properties for purchase and does not provide emergency or crisis housing, or affordable rental homes. The ballot processes we use do not prioritise people and are based on random chance.

Please see the ACT Government’s Homes and Housing for more information on housing options in the ACT.

The ASIC MoneySmart website includes guidance on choosing a home loan, buying a home and tips for once you get a mortgage.

The Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia has a list of mortgage providers and links to information and financial calculators.

The ACT Law Society has a list of lawyers as well as information and advice about buying a home, including how to make sure your rights are protected and how your solicitor can advise you.

ASIC provides many useful links and tools, including how to make sure you are borrowing money from a reputable and registered lender.

Planning.act.gov.au has some useful tips about buying a home in the ACT.

You have the right to make your decision about purchasing a home without being unreasonably pressured. You also have the right to be given any relevant information about the home or contract to help you make your decision.

Please email us immediately at [email protected] if you:

  • are feeling uncomfortable about the way discussions with a developer (or their agent) are proceeding
  • have concerns about information being incomplete or withheld
  • are unsure about whether requests being made of you are reasonable.

Each Affordable Home Purchase Scheme offering will have a different number of homes available and different levels of interest.

As a guide, we currently have more than 5,000 people who have signed up to the Affordable Home Purchase Scheme.

Recent offerings have had between 300 to 600 households express interest.

We use processes which are based on random chance so it is not possible to predict whether you'll be given the opportunity to buy a home or not.

Yes, you can express interest in more than one Affordable Home Purchase Scheme offering.

However you will not be eligible to participate in the Affordable Home Purchase Scheme once you exchange contracts.

If you express your interest, and are successful in more than one ballot, you will be given a limited time to decide which home you would like to buy.

Participating in the Affordable Home Purchase Scheme does not prevent you from accessing any other local, State/Territory or Commonwealth housing programs. You will need to meet any criteria that apply to those other programs.

For most homes purchased through the Affordable Home Purchase Scheme, you will be required to live in your home for 12 months after settlement. After that timeframe, there are no limitations on resale.

For house and land packages which were offered in 2021 and 2022, there was a three-year restriction on transfer included in the Crown lease for the land. This means the land cannot be sold within the first three years after settlement unless permission is granted in exceptional circumstances.

Please see the Unforeseen Events and Hardship Factsheet and contact us at [email protected] if you need more information or would like to discuss your situation.

Before you exchange contracts, you should get independent legal and financial advice about what is involved in buying a property. Your solicitor will be able to explain the details of the contract to you and act in your best interests.

Once you have exchanged contracts, your ability to change your mind will be limited. If you need to rescind or terminate your contract, you will need to talk to the developer and your solicitor about your options. It is unlikely you will be able to rescind or terminate your contract without forfeiting some or all of your deposit.

The developer cannot change the contract or the purchase price after you have exchanged contracts.

If your circumstances change before you exchange contracts, you need to contact us to ensure that the Statutory Declaration you submitted remains accurate. If there are circumstances affecting your ability to live in your new home, please contact us at [email protected].

Please see the Unforeseen Events and Hardship Factsheet.

Still have questions?

If you still have questions after reviewing our website, please contact us at [email protected].

Sign up today

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We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.

Acknowledgement artwork by Leilani Keen-Church

Artwork by Leilani Keen-Church

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