Housing Affordability in Western Australia 2025: A long way from home

Adam Crowe, Alan Duncan and Steven Rowley
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Adam Crowe: School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Curtin Business School

No FWA19, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre Report series from Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School

Abstract: Housing has emerged as one of the most urgent and complex challenges facing Western Australia. From surging rents to escalating house prices, the state’s housing market is being stretched to its limits, placing acute pressure on households, communities and service providers alike. The issue is not simply one of affordability, but of access, equity and sustainability. Wherever you turn, the signs of a housing system under strain are impossible to ignore. This latest Housing Affordability in Western Australia 2025 report provides a comprehensive and evidence-based response to WA’s housing situation, offering critical insights into homelessness and housing needs. It provides a fresh analysis of the supply and demand dynamics and the changing geography of WA’s rental stock supply, bringing new data to understand better the real cost pressures and housing circumstances faced by families across the country. The report highlights that WA’s housing market is not keeping pace with the state’s record population growth. While completions have reached a seven-year high, the shortfall remains in the thousands, tightening supply, driving up costs, and locking out a growing number of people from home ownership or secure rental. For renters, especially those on low incomes or in single-parent households, the challenge is acute. And homelessness is becoming both more entrenched and more widespread, with rising demand from women, older people, and even those in full-time work.

Keywords: housing supply; housing demand; urban planning; construction costs; housing affordability; rental stress; housing costs; rental bonds; population growth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L74 N67 R21 R3 R31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 145 pages
Date: 2025-06
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https://bcec.edu.au/assets/2025/06/BCEC-Housing-Af ... n-WA-2025-Report.pdf (application/pdf)

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