Government reaps $3.5b housing tax windfall: report
Queenslanders are spending the first decade of their mortgages paying taxes as the government reaped $3.5 billion more than forecast, research suggests.
housing and urban planning
Fears new rental laws may increase price pressures
Rental reforms have passed Queensland parliament but a peak body fears it might not deliver necessary relief.
Rental vacancies ease as political housing brawl stirs
A small lift in vacancy rates offers a ray of sunlight for renters as challenges in the housing market become a sharper focus for the major political parties.
Federal budget targets housing crisis amid backlash
The federal government has announced $11.3 billion to fast-track the delivery of new homes but faced criticism for not extending further support to renters.
Rents hit record high as housing shortfall bites hard
Landlords are charging more on the fringes of capital cities as migration meets a shortfall in new housing, driving rents up even further.
Second chance for tower residents after case dismissed
A judge has dismissed class action by Melbourne public housing tower residents against the Victorian government, but will allow them to reframe their case.
New arrivals feeling unfair blame for rental crisis
A poll shows almost half of all migrants and refugees feel they are copping the brunt of Australia's housing affordability crisis.
economy, business and finance
homelessness
house building
housing and urban planning
politics
real estate
Supply shortfalls set to exacerbate housing crisis
Housing affordability has worsened in Australia and could be set to deteriorate further but there is no easy fix on the horizon.
Anger as centre goes to police training, not housing
A decision to use an empty $400 million quarantine facility for police training has been described as a "bitter blow" in the fight against homelessness.
Renting families, overseas students not in competition
Rentals are in short supply and prices are rising fast but there's more to the story than international students, the Student Accommodation Council says.
Renters could save $5400 if there was a cap, Greens say
Queensland renters could have saved $5400 in the past two years if the government had established a cap amid soaring prices and low vacancies.
Housing crisis to ‘get worse before it gets better’
Tax reform, building more public housing, and lifting social support payments have all been floated as pieces of the housing affordability puzzle.
‘Worst ever’: low-income earners hit by soaring rents
Crushing rent increases are becoming the new normal with lower-income earners and people on welfare priced out of the market, Anglicare Australia has warned.
Build-to-rent piece of housing puzzle but no quick fix
Homes purposefully built for renting long term could help boost rental supply in the future but the emerging model is no silver bullet nor a short term fix.
Higher taxes on foreigners pitched to free up homes
Overseas buyers could face higher state taxes to buy property in NSW as the government looks for ways to free up homes for local residents.
New-homes target not going to plan amid tradie shortage
Only one jurisdiction is forecast to achieve its share of a five-year national housing plan, but one premier has defended the goal over "mushy" targets.
Tradie shortage spells doom for bid to build 1.2m homes
The most significant measure to solve Australia's housing crisis won't be achieved, builders predict amid workforce shortages.
Rate peak to buoy confidence and possibly home prices
Growing confidence that interest rates are going no higher and cuts may start later this year could improve consumer sentiment and home-buying activity.
House prices may surge if buyers use super for deposits
If homebuyers use super to put down a deposit, median house prices will increase across the nation and young people will be no better off, modelling reveals.
construction and property
financially distressed company
housing and urban planning
insurance
politics
More deposit bailout cash after home builder collapse
Victorian taxpayers will again come to the rescue of customers who lost their home deposit after the builder went belly up.
Housing plan decried as ‘dystopian’ by property chief
A radical plan to fix the housing crisis by competing with the private market has been dismissed despite being borne out in several developed nations.
Home price growth gathers pace as confidence returns
Property prices in Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane still grew the fastest in January but Melbourne and Sydney also had a more convincing month.
First homebuyer shared equity scheme clears lower house
A shared equity scheme allowing first homebuyers to buy a property with a two per cent deposit has passed the House of Representatives.
Homebuyer scheme on shaky ground as calls for help echo
Opponents of a homebuyer scheme that would split upfront costs with the government are being urged to back the plan to help more people buy their first house.
More first-time buyers facing mortgage stress
Higher interest rates are a double-edged sword for wannabe home buyers - shortening the time to save for a deposit but pushing up mortgage repayments.
company information
construction and property
economy, business and finance
energy and resource
environmental issue
housing and urban planning
metal and mineral
Aussie economy ‘OK’ despite weaker housing: BlueScope
BlueScope Steel expects local housing starts to recover and strong demand in the United States for infrastructure, including steel-intensive renewable energy.
Auction interest shows no signs of slow down
More than 2000 homes will go under the hammer on Saturday, a 13 per cent surge from the same weekend in 2023.
Cheap, damaged e-scooters may be banned in apartments
Apartment managers will be encouraged to restrict the use of e-scooter "cheap imports" in by-laws and educate residents about using technology safely.
Sydney faces future as ‘city with no grandchildren’
Fewer people live in inner Sydney than inner Brisbane and Melbourne, pushing up housing costs and driving young families interstate, a report shows.
Homeless hotspots on the rise with soaring rents
An increase in the number of people accessing specialist support services for homelessness has appeared in areas where rents have risen sharply.
Sydney suburbs become homeless hotspots as rents climb
An increase in the number of people accessing specialist support services for homelessness has appeared in areas where rents have risen by up to 40 per cent.