Housing has emerged as a major issue in the lead-up to Australia’s federal election, with both major parties offering competing plans to address the crisis. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged a 5 per cent deposit scheme for first-home buyers and the construction of 100,000 new affordable homes. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has proposed allowing first-home buyers to claim mortgage interest payments as tax deductions to ease financial pressure. However, real estate expert Professor Piyush Tewari from the University of Melbourne cautions that government-built affordable housing alone is not a sustainable solution to the broader housing challenge.