The housing industry believes home ownership should be a priority regardless of who wins the federal election slated for May.
The Housing Industry Association says its own research shows that three-quarters of Australians believe people should be able to own their own homes.
Of respondents currently renting, 85% aspire to become homeowners, but only 42% believe they will ever do so.
More than half believe home ownership incentives have a role to play, while 69% believe governments have a role to play in helping Australians buy their homes.
“HIA remains committed to changing this statistic, and we believe it is a goal that should be embraced by all political parties vying for the upcoming federal election,” HIA CEO Graham Wolfe said.
He said it has long been imperative for the association to have a high cabinet minister for housing, as housing is essential to Australian society and must be given the prominence it deserves.
“The housing affordability challenges facing Australian households can only be solved if housing supply can match demand,” Mr Wolfe said.
HIA estimates that 1.66 million homes will need to be built by 2030 just to meet demand from population growth.
He calls for the unlocking of land supply to support new housing, saying there are systemic issues resulting from zoning, subdivision and development processes in all states and territories.
“It still takes more than a decade to bring unzoned land to market as ready-to-use land,” the HIA said.
The association also believes that there has been an underinvestment in social and community housing that has persisted for decades.
At the same time, there is a persistent shortage of skilled workers in the residential construction industry, and before the pandemic there had been a steady decline in the number of people studying professional qualifications.
“In these times of ongoing uncertainty and turmoil, our mantra that homeownership matters remains a strong foundation for the association,” Mr. Wolfe said.
“Our determination to uphold our core value of home ownership for all Australians is a message that all political parties will hear from HIA in 2022.”
Australian Associated Press
