Report – Centre for Equitable Housing, 22 June 2023

Glass ceilings: gendered inequality in the housing system

Women experience disadvantages across a range of social and economic indicators. Whether in education, the job market, unpaid domestic labour or the superannuation system, women consistently experience poorer outcomes than men. These outcomes reflect the gendered development and character of culture, institutions and social policy in Australia.

This paper explores some of the gendered inequalities within the housing system, based on the Australian Housing Monitor, a recent survey of nearly 4000 people.

Key findings:

  • Women are 6% more likely to report being a private sector renter, meaning that they are disproportionately affected by low tenure security, and other disadvantages affecting renters.
  • Women are 5% less likely to own a house as an owner-occupier. Female owner-occupiers were also 9% less likely to own an investment property.
  • Only 21% of female millennial homeowners reported receiving financial support or a gift from their family in order to buy their house, compared with 33% of male millennial homeowners.
  • Women benefit less from housing wealth which interacts with superannuation.

Read the full report here: https://percapita.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GLASS-CEILINGS-FINAL.pdf.