Almost half of all Australians don’t trust the federal government to fix the housing crisis, according to new research that reveals public confidence in housing delivery has fallen sharply across every state and territory.
The AMPLIFY Home Truths report, found 62 per cent of Australians now distrust the federal government to take the right action on housing – an 8 per cent drop in just three months.
Community confidence in state and territory governments has also fallen 3 per cent nationally, dragging the overall Home Truths index down from 50.7 per cent in October 2025 to 49 per cent in February 2026.
“Solving the housing crisis demands leadership with a sense of urgency – because behind every statistic in this report is a person waiting for a home, a family stretched beyond its limits, a community losing confidence,” said AMPLIFY CEO Georgina Harrisson.
“The time for incremental steps has passed. Now’s the time for bigger, bolder action on housing.”
The research surveyed more than 4,200 Australians between December 2025 and January 2026 and found 71 per cent believe there has been little or no progress on increasing housing supply – a 5 per cent decline on October 2025 results.
Meanwhile, 72 per cent think it’s unlikely enough homes will be built to meet housing needs over the next four years.
Australia is on track to deliver only 72.8 per cent of the 1.2 million homes targeted under the National Housing Accord – a shortfall of approximately 326,500 homes by 2029. No state or territory is currently on track to meet their share of the target.
The largest drops in trust in the federal government came from Tasmania (down 15 per cent), South Australia (down 11 per cent) and the ACT (down 10 per cent).
Victoria recorded the lowest levels of trust in its state government, with 37 per cent of Victorians strongly distrusting the Allan Government to improve housing availability – the strongest level of distrust toward any state government in the country.
The research also revealed the scale of housing stress affecting Australians. Some 68 per cent of respondents report spending more than 30 per cent of their household income on housing, putting more than two thirds of Australians in housing stress.
Young people are bearing the brunt of the crisis, with 68 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds saying they are making sacrifices to cope with housing costs – including living in crowded homes, properties needing major repairs, or unsafe areas.
“I once thought that Australia was a lucky country. It is no longer,” said one survey respondent, a renter aged 35 to 44 living in Western Australia.
“It has become a country of haves and have nots. Housing is a necessity not a luxury.”
Despite the grim outlook, the research suggests Australians are open to reform. AMPLIFY’s broader platform advocates for ambitious zoning reform, faster approval pathways and nationally consistent rental reforms – measures the organisation says could unlock significant additional housing supply.
The ACT remains the best-performing jurisdiction for housing delivery, on track to deliver 97.9 per cent of its target, while Tasmania trails at just 45.9 per cent.