Baby boomers are almost twice as likely to resist new low-rise housing development compared to young adults, a new survey has found.
The research from The Susan McKinnon Foundation, a non-partisan philanthropic foundation, revealed 32 per cent of Gen Z residents in New South Wales, born between 1996 and 2010, want to see more one to three-storey apartments in their local area.
That compares to just 18 per cent of baby boomers, people born from 1945 – 1964, and only 7 per cent of the post-war generation.
Housing Now chair David Borger, a former NSW Labor housing minister, said the data underlined the pressing need for a shift in the mindset of older generations.
“There is no doubt that older generations have been traditionally resistant to new housing – and this needs to end,” Borger said.
“The reality is that the golden generation of property ownership has been kind to baby boomers and their parents, but not to those below them.
“Baby boomers have a social responsibility to support more housing development in their area to allow the next generation to live close to work, family, and amenity.”
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Housing Now is an alliance of big business, unions and academics who have joined to try and come up with initiatives to solve the housing crisis.
The survey also revealed terraces and townhouses are the most favoured options for increased housing density, followed by one to three-storey apartment blocks.
Both options are considerably more popular than nine storey apartment buildings.
