Dear All,
Sir Robert Menzies, founder of the Liberal Party of Australia and Prime Minister of Australia 1939–41 (UAP) and 1949–66 (Liberal) – Left us with a legacy vision.
There is a powerful sentiment in Australian political history: that every Australian should be able to own their own home. While no single speech neatly packages that phrase, parts of Sir Robert Menzies’ “Forgotten People” address — among others — deeply embed the idea that homeownership is fundamental to stability, belonging and dignity.
“The material home represents the concrete expression of the habits of frugality and saving ‘for a home of our own.’ … The home is the foundation of sanity and sobriety; it is the indispensable condition of continuity; its health determines the health of society as a whole.”
— Sir Robert Menzies
While that quote is from his “Forgotten People” broadcasts, that core value—the home as a bedrock of personal and civic life—resonates across his speeches and housing policies.
Please click here to hear part Sir Robert Menzies weekly radio broadcast: https://dl.nfsa.gov.au/clip/forgotspeech/
The Legacy and the Gap
Under Menzies’ governments, several initiatives sought to bring the vision of widespread homeownership closer to reality:
- The Homes Savings Grant (1964) aimed to assist first-home buyers by matching a portion of their savings, encouraging frugality and planning.
- The Housing Loans Insurance Corporation (HLIC) provided government-backed insurance on home loans, reducing the risk to lenders and expanding loan availability. Today, it I commonly known as Lenders Mortgage Insurance or Risk Fee.
- He also renegotiated the Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement so that a share of federal funding supported building societies and private home loans.
These were not handouts so much as “hand ups”—mechanisms designed to bridge gaps that markets and institutions alone struggled to close.
Yet, despite decades of policy efforts, many Australians today face significant headwinds: escalating house prices, high interest rates, stagnant wages, and difficulty building sufficient deposits. The dream of owning a home remains elusive for many.
Link to Menzies’ Vision
To revisit the spirit of Menzies’ commitment, you can access the text of his “Forgotten People” speech (with the relevant passage about the home) here:
🔗 “The Forgotten People” by Sir Robert Menzies (22 May 1942) Wikipedia
I encourage you (and your networks) to read especially the passages on the home, property, and individual aspiration. That link ensures the vision remains easily reachable and recallable.
Enter AffordAssist: A 21st Century “Hand Up”
To bridge the gap between aspiration and attainment today, we need a modern mechanism—a 21st-century complement to what Menzies began. That’s where AffordAssist comes in.
AffordAssist is an Interest-Free Deferred Deposit Solution
A Smarter Alternative to Cash Deposits
AffordAssist delivers housing affordability through social enterprise. It is a mission-driven, innovative home-loan and property-deposit solution that rethinks what a deposit can be, enabling homeownership sooner.
Secure a home loan with as little as 1% cash upfront. This first-of-its-kind, flexible deposit-structuring solution can reduce the loan amount and save thousands in interest over time.
AffordAssist also guides the property sales and settlement process, clearly explaining the deposit structure to sellers. Buyers contribute part of the deposit upfront and defer the balance interest-free, typically over 60 months, while retaining 100% ownership from day one.
Instead of requiring buyers to provide the full deposit upfront, AffordAssist allows part of the deposit to be:
- Deferred, rather than paid immediately
- Interest-free, reducing financial pressure
- Paid over time, aligned with real affordability
- Applied to reduce the loan amount, building equity sooner and saving interest over the life of the loan
- Independent of equity, family guarantees, or high-risk or complex structures
AffordAssist recognises that housing affordability improves when access to a home is aligned with a buyer’s ability to pay over time — not just at the start. Its industry-leading governance, designed to protect all stakeholders, can be likened to Credit Risk Transfer (CRT).
The outcome is simple and transformative: lending and property processes remain the same, while AffordAssist replaces the need for additional cash deposits. Buyers can secure a home earlier, through a smarter social enterprise structure. It doesn’t just help buyers; it strengthens our social fabric and economy. Click here to read article When Housing Affordability Becomes a Social Enterprise Outcome
A Shared Vision
Menzies’ vision—still holds moral force.
AffordAssist is a modern tool for realising a principle that has endured across generations.
Regards
AA
B2B – AffordAssist facilitates and oversees the governance process. Are you a mortgage broker, lender, developer, real estate agent, affordable housing advocate, or housing minister? We welcome your collaboration. Join us in our mission to expand access to home ownership. Together, we can make a lasting impact.
Image From National Archives of Australia. Sir Robert Menzies, portrait (c. 1939), National Archives of Australia, public domain. Edited with AI