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Housing Report Card, scores a D minus

HIA, Australia’s largest building industry association, today released the nation’s most comprehensive report card on the residential sector. » More

Affordability Remains at 24 Year Low

First home buyer housing affordability barely improved in June, languishing at a 24 year low. The HIA-CBA First Home Buyer Affordability Index inched up by just 0.3 per cent during the June 2008 quarter to still be 6 per cent lower than a year earlier. » More

Soft Home Lending Highlights Rate Cut Imperative

HIA, Australia’s largest building industry association, said that home lending for both owner occupiers and investors continued to slide in June. » More

Housing Shortage To Get Worse In 2008

Building approvals weakened further in June, following a big drop in May, to reach their lowest level since the end of 2006. » More

New Home Sales Highlight Urgency of Housing Reform

New home sales increased moderately in June but were effectively flat over the first half of 2008. » More

VET System Failing Residential Construction Industry

The latest HIA-Austral Bricks Trades Report confirms that labour shortages persist despite failing activity, suggesting that urgent reform is needed to the vocational education and training (VET) system to avoid a future skills crunch. » More

THE GEN Y STORY: Living at Home Till Thirty

The number of young Australians living at home is on the rise. Updated figures show the lack of affordable housing is locking Generation Y out of the housing market. » More

Monetary Policy Overcooked

Home lending for owner occupier housing weakened across the board in May. » More

Queensland Drags Building Approvals Down in May

Building approvals fell in May, the third fall in the five months worth of updates for 2008. » More

Further Weakening For New Home Sales

New home sales fell in May following a steady month in April » More

Weak First Quarter For Housing Starts

The poor run of housing numbers continued with housing starts for the March quarter down 3.3 per cent on a seasonally adjusted basis. » More

Modest Rise for Construction Finance

The number of loans for construction of owner occupier dwellings increased moderately in April. » More

Better Month For Building Approvals

Following a dreadful first quarter in 2008, building approvals increased 7.8 per cent in April, offering some signs of improvement which will assist in pegging underlying demand for housing. » More

Flat Start To June Qtr For New Home Sales

New home sales failed to recover from a very weak first quarter of 2008. » More

Drop In Affordability, Reform Now Urgent

The HIA-CBA First Home Buyer Affordability Index fell by 3.5 per cent during the quarter to be more than 10 per cent lower than a year ago. » More

Housing Finance Drops Sharply in March

Housing finance for both owner occupiers and investors is continuing to buckle under the weight of higher borrowing costs and high property taxes and charges » More

Building Approvals Confirm Worsening Housing Shortage

Building approvals dropped in the month of March and were also down significantly over the quarter. » More

Drop In Activity Yet Skills Shortages Remain

The latest HIA-Austral Bricks Trades Report highlights a continuation in the shortage of skilled labour despite a decline in building activity. » More

HIA's Economics Group is a leader in the collection, analysis and presentation of facts, figures and forecasts relevant to Australia's Housing and Renovation industries.

The Group's suite of regular publications, one-off reports, tailored client consultancy work and regular presentations, provide the building industry, the business community and media with the most comprehensive overview of industry conditions, emerging trends and future scenarios available anywhere in Australia.

With ready access to HIA's 42,000 members nationwide, accounting for 85 per cent of residential activity, HIA Economics Group's work is a true barometer of industry activity and attitudes and is vital in assisting you with business plans, board papers, impact statements, company budgets and making major decisions.

Bookmark this Page, make it one of your favourites. It is the gateway to being kept informed of developments in Australia's Housing and Renovation Industries.

Harley Dale	- Chief Economist
Ben Phillips	- Assistant Director, Industry Policy
Kirsten Lewis	- Research and Administration Officer *Enquiries please contact 02 6245 1393*