How much will the Help To Buy program cost taxpayers? Treasury says the government has committed an additional $800 million to the Help to Buy scheme in this year's budget.

This is well over a third of all first home buyers. Importantly, though, Help to Buy is a more ambitious scheme that complements the guarantee program by targeting people on lower incomes.

Help-to-buy schemes were a "useful ingredient" to ease the housing crisis but needed to be teamed with tax reform, the Australian Institute of Housing and Urban Research managing director said.

Help to Buy is a new shared equity scheme from the federal government that may help you become a home owner sooner.