Nearly 60 per cent of renters polled by a share-housing platform are struggling to meet their payments, up from 14 per cent in 2023.
The latest surveying from Flatmates.com.au follows the Labor government finally securing the support needed to pass key pieces of housing legislation after months of debate.
The Help to Buy scheme is a shared equity program that will allow 10,000 first-home buyers each year to purchase a house with a contribution from the government.
The build-to-rent policy involves tweaks to tax settings to spur foreign investment in a specific style of housing development where homes are rented rather than sold.
About a third of renters were hit with rent hikes in the past six months, a survey suggests. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)
The breakthrough on housing policy comes as tenants endure sharp increases in rents, making it harder to save for a deposit and purchase a home.
About a third of renters were hit with rent hikes in the past six months, the Flatmates.com.au survey shows, with half of those larger than tenants anticipated.
More than half of the 8,700 respondents now believe the dream of home ownership is out of reach for young people.
"Ongoing cost of living pressures over the past 12 months have reshaped how Australians approach housing, with 43 per cent of respondents saying affordability constraints have pushed them into share accommodation," product manager Claudia Conley said.
The survey found the proportion of members aged over 55 entered share housing arrangements had risen seven per cent year-on-year, with over-75s the fastest-growing demographic.
"Half of respondents over 55 did so through financial necessity, however there was also a 30 per cent rise in respondents opting for shared living for the companionship that it offers," Ms Conley said.
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