Quarterly Essay

Alan Kohler

Australia’s housing crisis has become a defining economic and social divide, locking many people out of home ownership while rewarding those who already hold property. This timely analysis examines the forces behind soaring prices, unaffordable rents, insecure housing and widening inequality, challenging the policies and assumptions that have allowed the problem to deepen. It also presents practical reforms and a path toward a fairer, more sustainable housing system. Clear, probing and accessible, the book offers an urgent guide to understanding—and fixing—Australia’s housing mess.