Select Committee on Intergenerational Housing Inequity

The Senate established the Select Committee on Intergenerational Housing Inequity on 17 March 2026. A select committee is a group of members of parliament who inquire into and report back on a specific issue. A select committee disbands when they have completed the report.

The select committee is inquiring into and reporting on:

• what inequity (unfair access) to housing is in Australia for different types of housing
• which laws, policies and services have worked in reducing unfair access to housing in Australia and overseas
• how different groups in society have different experiences of unfair access, depending on their gender, location, disability, cultural background and wealth
• what causes unfair access to housing between generations
• what helps or hinders action on housing reform on a large scale
• what solutions there are to solve unfair access to housing for current and future generations
• any connected topics.

The NSW Advocate for Children and Young People’s submission

The NSW Advocate for Children and Young People made a submission in May 2026. The submission has eight recommendations and shares the perceptions and housing experiences of young people and families with children in NSW.

The National Housing and Homelessness Plan recognises that safe and affordable housing is central to the security and dignity of all Australians. But housing is more than this. It is a fundamental human right and foundational for the development and wellbeing of children and young people.

When children and young people cannot access safe, secure and quality housing, it impacts on independence, mental and physical health, and the ability to thrive in life. Urgent reform is required across the planning and housing sectors so young people can access affordable housing and to break cycles of housing inequality.

This includes:

• working toward fit-for-purpose and affordable housing models for young people 

• increasing the supply and quality of social and affordable housing

• strengthening protections for renters including young renters and families who rent

• ensuring that changes to the cost of housing are in line with wages
  
  
• actively embedding the views and opinions of young people in any changes to housing and planning policy.

Summary of recommendations

For the Australian Government to prioritise:

• Recommendation 1
  Young people care about and are directly impacted by housing inequity. Any planning and housing reform needs to embed the views and needs of young people as a core feature. The Australian Government should:
  
  
  • Incorporate accessible and youth-friendly engagement with young people into any federal housing and planning consultation processes and include assessment of the housing needs of young people.
  • Include young people on housing committees and advisory groups (e.g. young renters, young people living in public housing, young people who have experienced homelessness).

• Recommendation 2
  Develop and implement a coordinated national plan for affordable and public housing for young people that sets clear priorities, targets and approaches.
  
  
• Recommendation 3
  Provide sustainable investment in youth homelessness services, transitional housing models and other evidence based supportive housing, with a priority given to at-risk cohorts, including young people leaving custody, young people who have experienced homelessness and young people transitioning from residential treatment (e.g. for mental health or substance use) or OOHC, to access the housing and supports needed to become independent and thrive.
  
  
• Recommendation 4
  Increase Commonwealth income support amounts (i.e. Youth Allowance and Rent Assistance) to allow young people and low-income families to better afford and balance living costs, including rent, work and study.
  
  
• Recommendation 5
  Review current tax settings with the aim to improve affordable first home ownership opportunities for young people and increase supply.

In collaboration with state and territory governments:

• Recommendation 6
  Partner with state, territory and local governments to design and deliver youth-friendly engagement protocols for local and state planning and housing matters and include assessment of the housing needs of young people.
  
  
• Recommendation 7
  Partner with state and territory governments to better enforce private rental market regulation (e.g. rental bidding, dwelling standards) and to improve the affordability, safety and security of rental housing.
  
  
• Recommendation 8
  Increase investment in social and affordable housing to both increase dwelling supply and improve quality of existing stock. This should include allocating a proportion of affordable housing supply to young people aged 24 and under.

• Read the complete submission
  
• View the Select Committee’s page on this inquiry