New research shows Australians think housing crisis is getting worse

THE data from Master Builders Australia makes grim reading in the run up to Christmas – with a raft of insights that reinforce that housing will be front and centre of the Federal Election.

The research just after the RBA kept rates at 4.35 per cent for the 13th month in a row shows:  

• 2 in 3 say cost of living is the most important issue for them (up from 45% in May 2023). 
• 1 in 4 say housing is the most important issue for them (up from 8% in November 2023). 
• 90% say it’s difficult to afford to buy or rent property in Australia. 
• 70% say the Albanese Government has not done enough to address housing issues. 
• 85% agree there is a shortage of housing in Australia. 
• 7 in 10 say the housing crisis is damaging the quality of life in their community. 
• 7 in 10 say the housing crisis has gotten worse over the last 12 months. 
• 68% of renters who want to buy a home fear they won’t achieve it within the next 5 years. 
• More than 1 in 3 Australians have gone without essentials like food, medicine or education to pay for their rent of mortgage in the last 12 months. 
• 39% have struggled to pay their rent or mortgage in the last 12 months. 
• 65% say the Federal Government is most responsible for addressing the housing crisis. 

Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn said: “These are very sombre figures – households and businesses are hurting.  

“Housing and cost of living must be front and centre this federal election. 

“We’ve seen the housing crisis worsen over the last 18 months with more than one in three Australians now going without essentials like food or medicine to pay their rent or mortgage.  

“This Christmas, while many will be decorating their homes, a large share will be trying to keep their home.  

“85% of voters agree we don’t have enough homes in Australia and the research shows that a swathe of solutions should be on the table to fix this. 

“The majority of Australians think the Federal Government has more to do to solve the housing crisis and Master Builders agrees. 

“Getting more skilled tradies both domestically and from overseas, speeding up planning approvals, simplifying workplace laws, bringing in an industry watchdog to hold unlawful unions to account, and building more critical infrastructure are just some of the policies that have majority community support. 

“The building and construction industry is ready to get on with the job after a difficult few years, but we can’t deliver unless governments do their bit to ease cost pressures and reverse declining productivity. 

“It’s clear this upcoming federal election, voters will be looking at all parties for real and tangible solutions to the housing crisis and we urge them to work with industry to make this happen.”