Voters want housing affordability action

A new poll shows a majority of voters want their own side to do more to address the issue of housing affordability.

Housing construction in Sydney

A poll says voters want federal and state governments to do more to address housing affordability. (AAP)

Nearly two in three Australians want federal and state governments to do more to address housing affordability.

A new Essential poll shows 62 per cent of those surveyed think the federal government isn't doing enough, while 60 per cent believe Labor needs to do more.

"We will have a minister for housing when we are in government because it's a key area," Labor senator Doug Cameron told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

"It's the key area of intergenerational inequality in this country."

Senator Cameron said the government's bond aggregator policy - to source capital for low-interest, long-term housing development loans - is not enough.

"We will have more to say before the election on housing affordability," he said.

But crossbench senator David Leyonhjelm said housing affordability is not an issue for Australians living outside Sydney or Melbourne.

"I don't think the federal government should get involved in it at all, other than to maybe muscle the state governments," he said.

Housing affordability was essentially a problem of supply.

"It's a state government problem and it's within the control of the state governments to do something about it."

When broken down along party lines, the Essential poll reveals 49 per cent of coalition voters believe the federal government isn't doing enough on affordability, while 57 per cent of Labor voters want the opposition to do more.

The polling, commissioned by the Everybody's Home campaign, has been released to coincide with housing and community groups uniting as part of a new campaign to lobby governments to do more.

"Making sure everyone has a home is a top order priority for Australians, but it is not matched by action from our political leaders. That needs to change," campaign spokeswoman Kate Colvin said on Tuesday.


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Source: AAP



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