Affordable housing

We’re working to get more Australians into safe and liveable homes.

We have a target to lend at least $6 billion by 2029 to help more Australians access affordable and specialist housing. During 2023, a total of $2.2 billion was provided towards this target.

First home buyers

In 2023, we helped 5,127 borrowers on the lower end of the income spectrum access home ownership through the First Home Guarantee (FHG).

Specialist disability accommodation (SDA)

In 2023, NAB has financed the construction of some significant specialist homes for people living with disability. This included finance to the Australian Disability Accommodation Projects . Working with Lighthouse Infrastructure and a consortium of lenders, this is NAB’s largest commitment in the SDA sector to date, and the first social loan for SDA in Australia.

Social, affordable and community housing

NAB is working closely with the Federal Government's major housing financing body, Housing Australia, to help create the right financing conditions to build scale in social and affordable housing aligned with the Federal Government’s ambition for 40,000 social and affordable homes by 2029.

Creating suitable homes for Australians in need

Leading a good, healthy life starts with having a place to call home. In 2023, 116,000 Australians are experiencing homelessness. The social housing waitlist is sitting at almost 150,000. Thousands of Australians with disabilities can’t find specialist homes that suit their needs. 

We don’t have enough safe, up-to-date and affordable homes available for Australians on lower incomes living with disabilities. By 2036, we’ll need at least 1 million more affordable homes. So we have to get to work now.

We need to get more Australians into safe and liveable homes. As a bank, we’re well-equipped to help. We also believe we have a responsibility to do so. New homes don’t get built or bought without finance, and that’s where we can help most—by providing the funds that get Australians in need into homes.

“Helping Australians buy a home is a significant part of what NAB does and we want to do more to help provide a greater supply of safe and affordable homes, particularly for people on low incomes.”

Ross McEwan, NAB CEO

How we’re making a difference

We’re financing the construction of quality homes that Australians on lower incomes can afford to rent or even own. We’re making home ownership more affordable for Australians finding it hard to buy a first home, especially essential workers, by taking part in affordable home ownership programs.

Living with a disability can make finding a liveable home much harder, so we’re financing the construction of more quality specialist homes for Australians with disabilities.

To provide safe and liveable homes banks, governments and non-profits need to work together, so we’re actively contributing to partnerships that help get us there.

What does affordable and specialist housing include?

The spectrum of affordable housing spans accommodation provided by state and territory governments and community housing providers through to mixed housing and commercial build-to-rent projects.

We’re working on the areas of the housing spectrum where we can help the most.