Peter Njoroge feels ready to buy a home for his family.

The 46-year-old father of three said he could afford the repayments on a house in Werribee, the south-west Melbourne suburb where he currently rents.

Mr Njoroge earns around $130,000 a year working in disability care (including on weekends).

Adding his wife's annual earnings of $40,000 from childcare work, the household's combined pre-tax income is $170,000.

They live comfortably but — like many families — have struggled to save for a house deposit given the high costs of living and rent.

It's well-paid working Australians like Mr Njoroge that a re-elected federal government promised to help into home ownership through programs like its expanded 5 per cent deposit scheme for first homebuyers.

While similar initiatives have exi

See Full Page