24 people are already getting government help to buy a first home under the First Step scheme, and it's now accepting more applications.

125 people applied when the equity loans were launched in February.  A fifth of those applications were accepted.

Housing Minister Sam Mézec says he is pleased with how popular the first round proved to be:

"These people will currently be in the process of negotiating the purchase of those homes, and hopefully going through the court process in the next few weeks."

First Step offers an equity loan of up to 40% towards the purchase of a one, two or three-bedroom home.

Another third of the £10 million pot will be allocated in this second round. However, the minister thinks it might be shared between fewer people this time:

"In the first tranche, we have assisted people with a wide mix of homes, but it was quite a few that were one and two-bedroom flats.

"We've said for this next tranche, let's see if we can do a little bit more for those who are buying three-bedroom homes.

"Those will be more expensive, so that will be fewer people ultimately but we think, across the whole scheme it is good for us to be supporting as wide a mix as possible."

To apply, you need to be registered on the Assisted Purchase Pathway.  Priority will be given to those who have had their names on the list the longest.

Applicants must:

• Hold entitled status,

• Be registered on the Assisted Purchase Pathway,

• Be able to provide a 5% deposit towards the purchase,

• Be able to access the maximum lending available to them from one of the scheme’s partnering mortgage lenders,

• Not be under offer on another assisted purchase scheme.

There will be a last opportunity to apply in September.

Deputy Mézec says he wants the scheme to help as many people as possible:

" I do urge everybody who was not successful in the first tranche to reapply.

I hope that, if we can make this scheme a success, we will have a good case for carrying it on in future years, and if I can convince the States Assembly to give me more funding for this then I would want to carry on and perhaps do another iteration of this next year.

The greater a success we make of it, the better a case we have got to do that."