Grattan Institute

Election 2025: Evaluating the housing policies

Grattan Institute

Show Notes

Whether it’s increasing rent or mortgage repayments, the surging cost of buying a house or simply finding a secure place to live, Australians are struggling more than ever with housing costs. And with a federal election around the corner, cost-of-living is one of the biggest issues facing voters.

Labor is spruiking the housing policies that it legislated over its first term, including the newly expanded Help to Buy scheme. The Coalition is promising to allow first home buyers to use their super to help purchase their home. Both parties are proposing a two-year ban on foreign residents purchasing existing homes.

But do the policies on offer from the major parties go far enough to help make housing more affordable for more Australians? In this podcast, two Grattan experts, Brendan Coates and Matthew Bowes, evaluate the housing policies on offer – and suggest that whoever wins the election should pursue more comprehensive reforms.

Read the 2025 Orange Book: https://grattan.edu.au/report/orange-book-2025/

More from Grattan Institute

Oct 20, 2026

Australia’s budgets are under pressure. Debt is rising, interest bills are climbing, and the costs of an ageing population and climate change are getting bigger. So how did we get here? And what would it take to fix it?

Sep 23, 2026

Political parties spent almost half a billion dollars in the year leading up to the 2025 federal election.

Aug 11, 2026

Every night, thousands of car spaces across Australia’s cities sit empty.

Jul 28, 2026

Paid work can be a pathway to independence, purpose, and connection — but Australians with disability are far less likely to be employed than everyone else, especially those with high support needs. Many who do work are paid well below the minimum wage, some as little as $3.31 an hour.

Jul 14, 2026

Australians visit the pharmacy more than any other health service. But what's happening behind the scenes? How does the price you pay at the counter get set? How's the pharmacy sector funded?

See all episodes →