Australia’s new housing problems

Kids staying at home longer?

House bursting at the seams?

Don’t worry.  You are not alone.

The Reserve Bank knows of your problems.

Indeed, it fears that these trends could push house prices – and rents – even higher

Its Assistant Governor, Philip Lowe, spoke at some length about these issues, at a seminar in Sydney today.

He noted that the number of houses being built in Australia over recent years had been below average, even though the nation’s population has been growing strongly.

That had meant house prices had been rising and rental vacancy rates had been very low.

Mr Lowe spoke of other, less obvious, trends, too.

He said that, on average,  more Australians are now living in each house and more money is being spent on renovations, rather than new buildings, now.

“Obviously examples of this are the trend towards young adults staying in the parental home longer and a rise in the number of people sharing accommodation,” Mr Lowe said.

“In a sense, as a society, there has been a trade off between quality and quantity.

“In particular, we have chosen to build bigger and better appointed dwellings, rather than more dwellings,” Mr Lowe said.

Mr Lowe said if strong population growth continues over an extended time, Australia might have to devote a bigger share of its gross domestic product to housing in future.

“If this does not happen further adjustment in housing prices and rents is likely to occur,” Mr Lowe warned.

Related stories:

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2. Reserve Bank sees “no major problems” as 45,000 famlies slide into the red
3. Housing market under stress