Paper Titles
Preface
The Impact of Spatial Distribution of Public Leisure and Cultural Facilities on Perceived Accessibility: A Focus on Small and Medium-Sized Cities in South Korea
p.3
Toward Net-Zero Cities: Evaluating Architectural Spatial Logic through Pedestrian Trajectories and Therapeutic Walking Environments
p.11
Analysis of the LOD(Level of Detail) in Real and Virtual Urban Spaces
p.17
Inflation and Housing Affordability in Australia: The Role of Policy Uncertainty and Urbanization
p.25
Integrating Vernacular Wisdom and Contemporary Performance in Mediterranean Residential Architecture: Santarém, Portugal Case Study
p.33
Influence of Air Temperature, Illuminance and Correlated Color Temperature on Thermal Perception
p.55
Assessing Outdoor Microclimate through On-Site Data and Simulation: The Case Study of Sistelo, Portugal
p.63
Extraction of Influencing Factors for Healing Environments in Maternal and Child-Friendly Primary Hospitals Based on Environmental Psychological Analysis
p.69

Inflation and Housing Affordability in Australia: The Role of Policy Uncertainty and Urbanization

Article Preview

Abstract:

This paper examines how inflation, economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and urbanisation affect housing affordability in Australia. The study uses secondary-source data (ABS series) and a simple city panel (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth), in conjunction with the housing inflation component of the indicator (mortgage rate) to establish a connection, followed to show inflation and urbanisation are pressures exerting their stress on affordability in parallel. Sydney is shown to have experienced the largest annual rise (≈12.5%: 6.2pp inflation, 6.3pp urbanisation). The relatively linked movements were represented via weak inverse correlation (r≈−0.14), therefore we recommend separate state and federal policy levers for these returns to housing affordability. Low-income renters are often exposed to pay ≥30% of their income towards housing, while middle-income first-home buyers are now experiencing tighter serviceability and deposit requirements. Regional areas may appear to be cheaper areas to rent or purchase... yet likely contain unrecognised stress. We propose adjusted transitions over the near-term (indexed cap on rent movement, offset mortgage-stress for all welcome), followed by longer-term supply reforms (diminished approval times, mid-rise infill, Build-to-Rent), but acknowledge the limitations of our data collection that relates to a range of 12 months up to 2024.

You might also be interested in these eBooks
11th Int. Conf. on Architecture, Materials and Construction (ICAMC) & 6th Int. Conf. on Building Science, Technology and Sustainability (ICBSTS) View Preview

Info:

Periodical:

Advances in Science and Technology (Volume 173)

Pages:

25-30

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4028/p-233CXv

Citation:

Cite this paper

Online since:

February 2026

Authors:

Maryam Malik, Parvesh Saini*, Jahangir Alam, Atul Chugh

Keywords:

Australia Housing Market, Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU), Housing Affordability, Inflation, Urbanization

Export:

RIS, BibTeX

Price:

Permissions CCC:

Request Permissions

Permissions PLS:

Request Permissions

Сopyright:

© 2026 Trans Tech Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved

Share:

Citation:

* - Corresponding Author

References

[1] L. Troy and B. Randolph: The precarious city: The suburban settlement in an age of uncertainty [Funded research project]. Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) (2020).

Google Scholar

[2] J. Wu, J. Zhang, S. Zhang and L. Zou: The economic policy uncertainty and firm investment in Australia. Appl. Econ. Vol. 52, No. 31 (2020), p.3354–3378.

DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2019.1710454

Google Scholar

[3] P. Phibbs and N. Gurran: The role and significance of planning in the determination of house prices in Australia: Recent policy debates. Environ. Plann. A: Economy Space Vol. 53, No. 3 (2021), p.457–479.

DOI: 10.1177/0308518x21988942

Google Scholar

[4] M. Bangura and C. L. Lee: Urbanisation and housing finance nexus: Evidence from Australia. Habitat Int. Vol. 139 (2023), p.102897.

DOI: 10.1016/j.habitatint.2023.102897

Google Scholar

[5] Y. Coskun: Housing affordability: An econometric framing for policy discussions. Int. J. Housing Markets Anal. Vol. 16, No. 2 (2023), p.374–407.

DOI: 10.1108/ijhma-01-2022-0015

Google Scholar

[6] C. Anderl and G. M. Caporale: Asymmetries, uncertainty and inflation: Evidence from developed and emerging economies. J. Econ. Finance Vol. 47, No. 4 (2023), p.984–1017.

DOI: 10.1007/s12197-023-09639-6

Google Scholar

[7] G. Uzuner: On the dynamic linkages among economic policy uncertainty, land use and housing prices: Evidence from time series and panel data models. Ph.D. thesis, Eastern Mediterranean Univ., Famagusta, Cyprus (2020).

Google Scholar

[8] A.A. Ahiadu, R.B. Abidoye and T.W. Yiu: Commercial property performance and economic policy uncertainty: A sub-class analysis of retail rents. in: Proc. 30th Annu. Pacific Rim Real Estate Soc. Conf., Gold Coast, Australia (Jan. 2024), p.1–12.

DOI: 10.3390/ijfs12030071

Google Scholar

[9] H. K. Nath and J. Sarkar: Inflation and relative price variability: New evidence from survey-based measures of inflation expectations in Australia. Empir. Econ. Vol. 56 (2019), p.2001–2024.

DOI: 10.1007/s00181-018-1422-y

Google Scholar

[10] C. Leishman, W. Liang and N. Sim: The impact of urban population on housing cost: The case of Australia. npj Urban Sustain. Vol. 3, No. 57 (2023).

DOI: 10.1038/s42949-023-00136-7

Google Scholar

[11] N. Gurran: Planning, housing, and affordability: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Aust. Urban Policy p.369 (2024).

DOI: 10.22459/aup.2024.19

Google Scholar

[12] P.A. Maria Das: The effect of macroeconomic factors, ageing population and government housing policies on residential housing prices in Malaysia. Ph.D. thesis, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kedah, Malaysia (2020).

DOI: 10.5171/2015.129446

Google Scholar

[13] B. Song: The impact of the global financial crisis on the Australian housing supply industry: 2007–2013. Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia (2020).

Google Scholar

[14] F.L.Y. Su: Towards the impact of economic policy uncertainty on food security: Introducing a comprehensive heterogeneous framework for assessment. J. Cleaner Prod. Vol. 386 (2023), p.135792.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135792

Google Scholar

[15] M. Konings, L. Adkins and D. Rogers: The institutional logic of property inflation. Environ. Plann. A: Economy Space Vol. 53, No. 3 (2021), p.448–456.

DOI: 10.1177/0308518x211007609

Google Scholar

[16] J. Ryan-Collins and C. Murray: When homes earn more than jobs: The rentierization of the Australian housing market. Housing Stud. Vol. 38, No. 10 (2023), p.1888–1917.

DOI: 10.1080/02673037.2021.2004091

Google Scholar