Australia has enough houses. So why can't anyone afford one? Housing economist explains.

The housing crisis in Australia isn't an accident: it's the result of decades of policy choices. Young Australians and first home buyers are now locked out of home ownership - and it’s not because of avocado toast. Housing market analyst Eliza Owen breaks down exactly why Australia's property market is broken - and what we could do to fix it.

In this interview, Eliza covers:
0:00 Introduction — Australia's housing crisis
0:15 Prices have outpaced incomes
1:02 Who's hit hardest?
1:32 The decline of social housing
2:04 Wealth, inheritance, and an unequal market
2:36 The "just move regionally" myth
3:23 Supply and demand — what does it actually mean?
4:05 NIMBYism and zoning
4:48 Construction productivity is falling
5:07 Australia has enough houses — so why the crisis?
5:44 Helping retirees downsize
6:29 Migration and housing
7:23 Corporate ownership and build-to-rent
8:01 Housing as an investment: the demand problem
8:18 Negative gearing explained
9:18 Capital gains tax and the 1999 discount
9:57 Why reform feels possible now
10:21 Australia's wealth is concentrated in housing
11:03 The full spectrum: from expensive rents to homelessness
11:21 The fix: treat housing as a home, not an asset

Note: This video was filmed in February 2026.

Is Australia's housing market fixable? Tell us below.

Stream 'Yes In My Backyard' from Compass on ABC iview:
https://iview.abc.net.au/video/RN2411H014S00

Producer, Interviewer & Editor: Jasmine Rule
Commissioning Editor: Daniel Ahern

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