Posted in the The Greek Herald 17 / 07 / 2026
For many Australians, home ownership remains one of life’s biggest goals.
For Greek Australians in particular, it has long been associated with security, stability and building something for future generations. Many grew up hearing the same message from our parents and grandparents: work hard, buy a home and create a foundation for your family’s future.
While that aspiration remains unchanged, the reality of achieving it has become increasingly difficult.
Property prices have risen dramatically, the cost of living continues to place pressure on household budgets, and for many prospective buyers, saving a deposit has become one of the biggest obstacles to entering the market.
It is a challenge Sydney entrepreneur Anthony Aoun has spent years thinking about.
Anthony Aoun is the founder of AffordAssist, an Australian-developed housing affordability solution designed to help eligible buyers overcome one of the biggest barriers to home ownership: the deposit.
“Many come to Australia seeking a better life for their family. Our family is much like many others,” Aoun says.
“I am grateful for the decision our parents made to create another home. The economic landscape has shifted since our parents arrived in Australia. For us as parents, saving for a deposit is much harder now, and it’s even harder for the current generation.”
A different way of looking at housing affordability
For Aoun, the inspiration behind AffordAssist came from his upbringing, family values and community values.
“I did not set out to solve a problem,” he says. “Rather, I wanted to contribute in whatever form I could to help the next generation.”
That thinking eventually led to the creation of AffordAssist.
According to Aoun, the specific problem AffordAssist seeks to address is redefining what a deposit can be.
AffordAssist describes itself as an Interest-Free Deferred Deposit Solution – a structure designed to help eligible buyers secure a home loan and purchase property while deferring part of the deposit.
According to the company, eligible buyers may be able to start with as little as $1,000 upfront, with the remaining deposit component deferred and paired with a first mortgage home loan.
“The specific problem we solve is redefining what a deposit can be,” Aoun explains.
“AffordAssist delivers housing affordability through social enterprise, an innovative home-loan and property-deposit structure, enabling buyers to enter the market sooner, more safely, and while borrowing less.”
A smarter alternative to cash deposits?
According to AffordAssist, housing affordability discussions have traditionally focused on a range of solutions including higher-LVR loans, assistance from family members, shared-equity models, rent-to-own arrangements, subsidies and government intervention.
AffordAssist positions its model as an alternative approach.
The company says its structure does not rely on cash savings for the full deposit and instead provides another pathway that may help eligible buyers access home ownership sooner.
AffordAssist also says the solution can be applied to all residential property types.
The company describes the model as a “smarter alternative to cash deposits” and says it is designed to work alongside traditional lending arrangements.
How the structure works
While every buyer’s circumstances are different, Aoun says the easiest way to understand AffordAssist is to look at how the structure may be applied in practice.
One example provided by the company involved purchasers buying a residential property valued at $745,000.
Under the AffordAssist structure, the buyers secured a 90 per cent home loan and contributed an initial cash deposit of $2,000. The remaining deposit component of $116,060, including lender’s mortgage insurance, was deferred over a 60-month period on an interest-free basis.
According to AffordAssist, examples such as this demonstrate how the structure may assist buyers who have the income to service a home loan but have not yet accumulated the full cash deposit traditionally required to enter the market.
The company says the model can be applied in a number of different circumstances.
Some buyers have sufficient income but not the full deposit. Others may already have savings available but prefer to preserve a portion of their cash reserves. In other situations, purchasers may be facing settlement challenges and are looking for another way to bridge the gap.
“There is no minimum or maximum salary,” Aoun says. “It is about people being able to afford something.”
The questions AffordAssist hears most often
When people first hear about the AffordAssist model, Aoun says the response is often the same.
“Is this even possible?”
Others question why a property seller would agree to participate in such a structure.
According to AffordAssist, not every seller can or wants to participate. However, the company says some sellers are willing to consider an alternative structure when the process is explained clearly and the arrangement aligns with their objectives.
AffordAssist describes this as an opportunity for willing sellers to “pay the equity forward” and help the next generation into home ownership.
The company says it works with industry professionals, including mortgage brokers, agents and developers, who can pair their services with the AffordAssist structure.
AffordAssist says it is not the mortgage broker, real estate agent or developer. Instead, it manages the structure between the various stakeholders involved.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead, Aoun says his vision is for aspiring home buyers to know there may be another option beyond saving for years, relying on the Bank of Mum and Dad or selling assets to bridge the deposit gap.
The company plans to continue expanding across Australia and New Zealand, with a mission to help approximately 4,500 applicants annually over the next five years.
Housing affordability remains one of Australia’s most significant challenges, and no single solution will suit every buyer. But AffordAssist believes innovation often begins by questioning long-held assumptions and exploring alternative ways forward.
For families watching their children and grandchildren struggle to enter the property market, that conversation may be more important than ever.
Because while the housing market has changed dramatically over the decades, the desire to own a home and build a secure future remains as strong as it has always been.
For more information about AffordAssist, visit www.AffordAssist.com.au
Readers should seek independent financial and legal advice and consider their own circumstances before entering into any property or finance arrangement.
