13 Jul FLISP Is Now First Home Finance: What Changed
If you have been researching government housing subsidies in South Africa, you may have noticed that FLISP is now called First Home Finance, or FHF. The rebrand has left many first-time buyers wondering whether anything about the subsidy itself has changed. The good news is that it hasn’t. The programme still works the same way, and FirstStep Housing can still help you apply for it from start to finish.
A New Name for a Familiar Programme
FLISP stands for the Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme, a grant introduced by government to help South Africans who earn too much for RDP housing but too little to comfortably afford a home loan on their own. This income bracket is often called the gap market. To see how the programme has evolved since it first launched, take a look at the history of FLISP.
Why Was FLISP Renamed?
The rename reflects a push to make the subsidy easier to understand for the people it is meant to serve. First Home Finance describes exactly what the grant does: it helps first-time buyers finance their first home. Beyond the name, what FLISP actually is and how it works has not changed.
What Actually Changed
Nothing about who qualifies, how much you can receive, or how the application process works has changed because of the rename. If you meet the FLISP qualifying criteria, you can still apply for a once-off, non-repayable grant of up to R169,264, depending on your household income. You still need a signed Offer to Purchase before you can apply, and a home loan is not a requirement.
What You’ll Still Need to Apply
Whether you call it FLISP or FHF, the same basic requirements apply. You will need to fall within the qualifying income bracket, be a South African citizen or permanent resident, be at least 18 years old, and have a partner or dependants. If you have more questions, our frequently asked questions page covers the details.
Same Subsidy, Same Support from FirstStep Housing
Whatever the programme is called, applying on your own can be time-consuming, and a single missing document can delay your approval. Our team keeps up with every change to the government housing subsidy process so you do not have to, and we handle your application from start to finish. The programme is officially administered by the National Housing Finance Corporation, under the Department of Human Settlements.
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