The Elephant in the Room
The property podcast for the thinking person.

Episodes

Episode 438: Can Housing Be Fixed Without Hurting Investors?

Australia’s housing crisis is no longer affecting only low-income households or vulnerable Australians on the margins. 

Across the country, middle-income earners, essential workers, and even people on relatively strong salaries are finding themselves under growing financial pressure as rents rise faster than wages and stable housing becomes harder to secure. What was once considered a housing affordability issue is now becoming a broader middle class housing crisis—one that is reshaping how Australians live, work, and plan for the future.

In this episode, Maiy Azize from Anglicare Australia and Everybody’s Home explores the deeper structural forces driving housing affordability in Australia and why so many Australians are now asking: why is housing so expensive in Australia? From the long-term decline of public housing Australia to the growing pressures facing renters, Maiy explains how decades of housing policy in Australia have transformed the role of housing from a basic need into one of the country’s most powerful wealth-building assets.

The conversation dives into the growing rental crisis Australia is facing and whether investor behaviour is contributing to the problem. Maiy explains how the Australian property market has shifted over recent decades, with the rise of highly leveraged investing and tax settings like negative gearing and capital gains tax property. This raises a bigger question at the centre of the debate: are property investors causing housing affordability issues, and has reliance on private investors created unintended consequences for renters, first-home buyers, and housing supply?

The episode also explores why middle-income earners are struggling to rent, as rising rents and the broader cost of living crisis push more working Australians into housing stress. It examines how investor activity and borderless buying are adding pressure in regional areas, contributing to a growing regional housing crisis in Australia, while questioning whether affordable housing can continue to rely on market forces alone—or if the government needs to step back in through stronger public and social housing solutions.

Listen now to hear a nuanced discussion about the future of the Australian property market, the policy decisions shaping Australia housing crisis, and why solving housing affordability in Australia may require rethinking the relationship between government, investors, and the communities housing is meant to support.

Episode Highlights

02:40 – What Rental Stress Really Means Today

07:52 – How Tax Settings Reshaped Landlords

09:12 – Budget Night: What Tax Changes Really Mean

15:53 – Credit Cycles Driving the Property Market

19:03 – The Data Behind Australia’s Affordability Crisis

22:44 – Airbnb and Regional Housing Displacement

26:09 – Buyer’s Agents and the Investor Boom

34:05 – More Homes, But Less Fair Housing Outcomes

40:00 – Zoning, Incentives, and Developer Reality

45:22 – Why Selling Public Housing Made It Worse

48:44 – The Banking System’s Role in Housing

51:38 – Budget Changes: What Happens Next?

53:20 – Build-to-Rent Under the Microscope

55:12 – Final Thoughts and Listener Q&A

Mention

About the Guests

Maiy Azize is the Deputy Director of Anglicare Australia and the national spokesperson for Everybody’s Home, a national campaign focused on housing affordability and ending Australia’s housing crisis. Through her work, Maiy advocates for policies aimed at improving rental affordability, expanding public and social housing, and addressing the growing number of Australians experiencing housing stress and insecurity.

She is also closely involved in research and policy analysis surrounding housing affordability, including Anglicare Australia’s annual Rental Affordability Snapshot and Everybody’s Home housing reports, which examine how rising rents and housing costs are affecting low-income workers, essential workers, and middle-income Australians across the country.

Known for her direct and evidence-based approach, Maiy regularly contributes to national discussions around housing policy, inequality, renting, homelessness, and the long-term social impacts of Australia’s housing system.

Resources:

Visit our website: https://www.theelephantintheroom.com.au

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Chris Bates