Housing Policy

Rent for the vast majority of public housing tenants in Victoria is capped according to income, but advocates say sharp increases in market rents before rebates are applied are causing confusion and concern.

Landlords in New South Wales say a looming policy change by the state government to ban a practice known as "no-grounds evictions" will erode the rights of property owners and reduce the amount of rental stock on the market. 

With official estimates putting the number of vacant and derelict homes above 100,000 across Australia, local governments and property lawyers argue they could be part of the solution to Australia's apparent housing shortage.

Those attempting to navigate the property market may be familiar with the plethora of property price guides published each month. But are they more of a hindrance than a help?

Investors say they're selling properties in Victoria due to the threat of increased taxes, changing tenancy laws and rising interest rates. But Victoria's not the only state where the number of rentals appear to be falling.

This seems as good a time as any to evaluate the reliability of what politicians tell us about the housing crisis — and how they're going to make things better.

An international competition is underway asking for blueprints to create a so-called pattern book of pre-approved housing designs for NSW.

Both major parties promised at the last election to end no-fault evictions, but new legislation is yet to be put forward.

Matt Mackey from building consultant, Arcadis, says the construction sector is facing a multitude of headwinds.

The NSW government has flagged North Eveleigh, Camperdown, Kellyville and Camden as the first of 44 sites designated for hundreds of social and affordable houses.

Legal and social groups say housing shortages and diminished services mean the child protection system is failing the people it is meant to protect.

Fifteen months after both major parties in NSW promised to end no-fault evictions, the government is yet to put forward new legislation, as more renters are pushed out of their homes amid a rental crisis.  

Without anywhere safe and secure to call home, Hailey felt like she didn't have a future. Her grades crashed and her mental health suffered. She's not alone. 

Why did we make it harder for younger Australians and low-income workers to own homes? Did we forget some wisdom from the past?

Parts of Australia are recording their coldest temperatures in more than a decade, and people sleeping rough are bearing the brunt more than ever. 

Shadow Minister for Housing Michael Sukkar says the number overseas arrivals since Labor came to power is four times greater than the number of houses built. RMIT ABC Fact Check investigates.

An 86-year-old woman whose house was destroyed in an explosion in Western Sydney has been re-housed in a women and children's shelter, which her daughter says has left her feeling isolated.

Australian property prices are expected to increase by as much as 5 per cent in calendar year 2024, according to the June PropTrack Property Market Outlook Report.

After a downturn during the pandemic, foreign buyers are back. Most are coming from China, Hong Kong and India, with the value of transactions hitting almost $5 billion over the past financial year.

A day after the state government announced water bill hikes for thousands of SA households, it now says the extra cost will be partly offset for concession card holders. An increased water concession of about $50 a year for about 190,000 eligible customers will come into effect from July 1.

With Adelaide in the grip of a housing crisis, and surrounding areas experiencing a population boom, the SA Government is looking at rail to deliver thousands of people to work from new regional and outer suburban communities.

A two-hour commute from the Sydney CBD, Wollondilly Shire seems an unlikely place for a battle between new housing and heritage laws. But a plan to protect a local landmark is causing division.

Danny Reinhold will be allowed to keep living in his rented bus after Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley granted him a permit — but the Shire of West Arthur will continue its legal action against him. 

Australian property resales reached their highest rate of profitability since July 2010 in the first quarter of the year, according to a new report from CoreLogic.

Could a cap-and-trade system help address the chronic housing shortages in popular tourist destinations around Australia?