Keystart home loan expanded to support more frontline workers

• Keystart's Skilled Start Home Loan now available for early-career police officers and emergency services personnel
• Skilled Start offers discounted interest rates for graduates, apprentices, and skilled construction workers
• Initiative has supported more than 65 early-career Western Australians into home ownership since launching in December
• Part of Cook Labor Government's commitment to ensuring every Western Australian has a home

Police officers, fire and emergency services personnel at the start of their career will be offered a helping hand into home ownership, with the Cook Labor Government today expanding Keystart's Skilled Start Home Loan to support more frontline workers.

Skilled Start Home Loans launched in December and offer a low 2 per cent deposit and a 100-basis point discount on Keystart's standard variable interest rate, meaning low barriers to entry and lower ongoing repayments for eligible Western Australian homebuyers.

The initiative - a Cook Labor Government election commitment - is already open to anyone who has graduated from TAFE or university with a Certificate III or higher qualification or completed their formal apprenticeship in the past five years. It is also open to people working in eligible construction occupations.

From today, eligibility for Skilled Start will be expanded to include anyone who has graduated in the past five years from the WA Police Academy or the WA Fire and Emergency Services Academy, as well as any equivalent Australian policing or emergency services qualification. This includes anyone currently participating in those training programs.

Broadening the program will ensure the opportunity for home ownership is available to more early career frontline workers who do not receive their qualifications through university or TAFE.

Since launching in December, more than 65 Western Australians have achieved the dream of home ownership through Skilled Start, with dozens of further applications now in the pipeline.

Skilled Start also comes with free optional financial coaching, to build financial resilience for homeowners.

Throughout the 2025-26 financial year, Keystart supported more than 2,600 Western Australians into a home of their own, with almost 1,200 new home loans approved - a significant increase on the previous two years.

More than three quarters of Keystart's home loans were for new build homes, with Keystart continuing to play an important role in encouraging housing supply.

For more information, visit www.keystart.com.au/skilledstart.

Comments attributed to Treasurer Rita Saffioti:

"Our police, fire and emergency services personnel play such an important role in the community, and the Cook Labor Government is committed to helping these workers to own their own home.

"Through Keystart, more early career frontline workers can access a Skilled Start Home Loan, and get into a home of their own with just a 2 per cent deposit and lower ongoing repayments.

"Skilled Start is already available for early careers workers that have graduated from university or TAFE, and by expanding the eligibility, our government is delivering on our commitment to ensure every Western Australian has a home."

Comments attributed to Police Minister Reece Whitby:

"By extending Skilled Start to more frontline workers, the Cook Labor Government is helping more police, fire and emergency services personnel enter the housing market sooner and their future here in Western Australia.

"Our police, fire and emergency services personnel dedicate their lives and careers to keeping Western Australians safe, and we're proud to support them with more opportunities to achieve home ownership."

Comments attributed to Housing and Works Minister John Carey:

"The Cook Labor Government is pursuing a range of measures to boost the supply of housing and see more Western Australians have a place of their own

"These affordable loans will ensure that our emergency services personnel are supported to achieve home ownership."