The Australian National University (ANU) has recently published the 24th ANUPoll report, ‘Attitudes to Housing Affordability: Pressures, Problems and Solutions’.

The report is prepared by the Centre for Social Research and Methods (CSRM). It is based on an ANUpoll conducted in March 2017, surveying 2,513 Australians.

The key findings of the report include:

  • Around 87 per cent are either very concerned or somewhat concerned that future generations will not be able to afford to buy a house;
  • 75 per cent believe owning a home is part of the Australian way of life;
  • Belief that home ownership is part of the Australian way of life is softer with younger people, at 60 per cent for 18-24 year olds;
  • 68 per cent believe emotional security, stability and belonging are the main reasons to buy a house;
  • 51 per cent nominated investment and financial security as key reasons to buy a house;
  • 28 per cent of those surveyed have economised on luxuries to meet mortgage or rent payments;
  • 18 per cent have economised on essentials to meet mortgage or rent payments;
  • One in five Australians are struggling to keep up with mortgage or rental payments, with 18 per cent saying it is a constant struggle, and two per cent saying they have fallen behind;
  • 23 per cent of mortgage holders said they would be in quite a bit, or a lot, of difficulty if interest rates increased by two percentage points;
  • 68 per cent of those not in the housing market are concerned they will never be able to afford a home;
  • 77 per cent do not expect their families to give any financial support towards buying a home;
  • 51.7 per cent support the removal of tax incentives such as negative gearing and the capital gains discount, but 27 per cent of investors strongly oppose their removal;
  • 83 per cent support or strongly support first homeowner grants; and
  • A small preference is shown for relaxing planning restrictions to increase supply of new housing.

The report is available here.

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