Housing Policy

The Queensland government has doubled its First Home Owner Grant to $30,000 but the incentive won't suit everyone. Here's what you you need to know.

Single mum Bethany Evans put down a $100,000 deposit on an off-the-plan apartment two years ago. When cracks appeared, she realised there was no way out.

A volunteer on a sleepbus dedicated to vulnerable Sunshine Coast women and children says a night of rest can help people make better decisions.

Australian real estate is set for a double-dip downturn, according to a leading analyst, as interest rates finally weigh on property prices and for-sale listings surge.

High rents are driving our inflation because of record levels of immigration, and few appear willing to confront the problem. But this is not — and should not — be an argument about multiculturalism, race or diversity, writes Ian Verrender.

Japan is experiencing a population crisis, registering its sharpest decline ever in the last year. One shrinking town is offering free houses to attract new, younger residents.

If we drop the antagonism between younger Australians and Boomers, will it help to fixing our housing crisis, asks Gareth Hutchens.

The boosted home buyers' grant will come into effect on Monday, and can also be used for granny flats or module homes. 

Andrew and his wife bought a block of land to build their forever home. Months after signing the contract, the couple were told their contract would be terminated because the financier of the development wanted the blocks to sell for a higher price.

Stuck on the state's ever-growing public housing wait list, Geraldton mum Dena Comeagain says the sight of boarded up homes in the region leaves her deeply frustrated.

On the one hand, is a $3 billion development to accommodate thousands of families. On the other, is a burial site that is of immeasurable cultural significance. The problem? They are both on the same ground.

Young Australians are struggling economically and socially, with a national barometer survey highlighting a "darker" year-on-year trend as cost-of-living pressures bite.

Renters in every Australian capital city are in a worse position than they were before the pandemic, the latest Rental Affordability Index report shows

If housing was a fundamental human right, what would that mean for Australians, asks Gareth Hutchens.

After escaping a turbulent home life, she found herself homeless at least three times before she even turned 18.

With the surging costs of homes in Australia, more young people are relying on family to enter the market. It has experts concerned about deepening class disparity.

The South Australian government will give land to the federal government to build nuclear submarines in exchange for three sites, two of which it plans to use for new housing.

This single mother was heartbroken when Airbnbs took away affordable rentals in her seaside home and left her struggling to find somewhere stable to live. She hopes a new government incentive will ease the pressure.

The ACT government's expanded stamp duty concession is likely to incentivise downsizing for older Canberrans, freeing up stand-alone houses for growing families, industry experts say.

Hospitality vendors in WA's South West say a chronic shortage of staff accommodation is crippling their businesses — and new government initiatives to try to solve the problem are inadequate.

According to data from a flatmates listing service, more home owners are renting out spare rooms but demand for share house living is also soaring amid Australia's affordability crisis and extremely tight rental markets.

The proposal would see a 68-hectare area between Macquarie Park and Macquarie University train stations become a residential development.

The program allows some tenants in private rentals to access a one-off support payment to cover rental arrears, and in some cases it will assist with a 50 per cent rental co-payment of up to three months.

Retirees and aged pensioners have to choose between leaving cities they have lived in for decades or becoming homeless amid a worsening rental crisis.

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