What the major parties promise on housing this election

Housing has become a central focus of the 2025 election.

In recent years, record-high housing price growth has contributed to the cost of living crisis.

In the lead-up to the election, now just days away, TDA is breaking down the key election issues.

Let’s take a look at how the major parties are promising to tackle the housing crisis.

Affordability

The median dwelling (houses, apartments) price in Australia is $976,000, based on the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This is up from $691,000 in 2019.

Renting has become increasingly expensive over the past few years.

The national median rent is $654 a week, according to data from property analyst CoreLogic.

Vacancy rates are also low at 1.6%. This measures the number of properties that are available on the market.

Labor

5% deposits for all first home buyers, expanding an existing, more-limited scheme for first-time owners. (Usually the minimum deposit is about 10%.)

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Building 100,000 new properties set aside for first home owners, through grants and programs via the states and territories. The homes would be on the “affordable” end of the market, according to Labor’s Housing Minister Clare O’Neil.

Expanding current schemes, including the ‘Help to Buy’ scheme, a program that splits ownership of a property between a buyer and the government.

Coalition

Up to $50,000 to dip into superannuation to buy a first home. The superannuation used in buying a home will need to be returned if the property is sold.

Ability to deduct mortgage interest payments from income tax. This would apply to interest payments on the first $650,000 of a mortgage and is limited to first home buyers.

$5 billion for critical infrastructure, set aside to develop water, sewerage, and roads around housing developments, which the Coalition estimates will unlock 500,000 new homes.

Greens

Freezing rent increases for two years, which would be enforced by the states and territories through national cabinet. The Greens said they would then cap it at 2% increases over the following two years.

Set up a government property developer, which would oversee the construction of 610,000 homes built over the next decade.

Build 50,000 shelters to house homeless people, at a cost of $5.2 billion over four years. The policy would also see states and territories double their funding for homelessness services.