Barriers to Homeownership Among Young People in Australia: Unpacking Competing Hypotheses

Abstract

The homeownership prospects of young people are declining globally. There have been widespread public concerns regarding barriers posed by unaffordable housing markets and tighter borrowing constraints, but equally a recognition that parental assistance can overcome these constraints. At the same time, public commentary often suggests that young people exhibit behaviours that are not conducive to saving for home purchase. This paper tests the relative importance of competing hypotheses regarding the barriers to homeownership among young people using the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. We find strong evidence that affordability constraints in the form of unaffordable housing markets and binding borrowing constraints are key barriers to homeownership. These constraints can be mitigated in the presence of intergenerational support as receipt of parental transfers in excess of AU$5000 quadruples the odds of achieving ownership. Poor saving habits, short-term financial planning and labour market precarities have negative impacts on homeownership prospects, but they are relatively less important drivers of homeownership attainment than affordability constraints and parental transfers.