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Housing affordability

7 Oct 2014

Q. Thinking about housing supply and affordability – which of the following would be the best way to make housing more affordable? And which would second? 

 

Best way to make housing affordable

Second best way to make housing affordable

Total

Make it easier for first home buyers to get a mortgage

20%

17%

37%

Increase the first home buyers grant

13%

15%

28%

Scrap negative gearing (which is a tax benefit to investors)

17%

10%

27%

Open up more land for development around the city fringes

11%

12%

23%

Build more medium density housing

9%

13%

22%

Build more public housing

11%

9%

20%

Build more high rise housing

2%

5%

7%

Don’t know

15%

6%

15%

The best ways to make housing more affordable were thought to be making it easier for first home buyers to get a mortgage (37%), increasing the first home buyers grant (28%) and scrapping negative gearing (27%).

Among those aged 18-35, 38% favoured making it easier to get a mortgage and 38% favoured increasing the first home buyers grant.

36% of those aged 55+ favoured scrapping negative gearing.

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