Equity sharing, also known as shared ownership or in the US as housing equity partnership (HEP), allows a person to purchase a share in their home even if they cannot afford a mortgage on the whole of the current value. It is generally used in affordable housing, providing a "third way" of land tenure between home ownership and renting. The remaining equity share may be held by the housebuilder, by a private investor or by a landlord such as a housing association. In some models the resident pays rent on that share.