The latest housing approval figures are out, and if you are to believe the mainstream media coverage about it, houses will soon be popping up all over the place.

Unfortunately, although the latest data does show that approvals for houses are up in January 2025, it won’t make much difference to Australia’s housing crisis unless those properties are built. What the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show is that in January, there were 16,580 residential dwellings approved, which is 6.3% higher than December. Total dwelling approvals in the three months to January 2025 were 14% higher compared to the same quarter in the previous year, with detached approvals up by 6.1% and multi-units up by 27.3%. Unfortunately, with construction costs remaining high, many of these will not be built anytime soon.

Rise in detached house approvals shows that demand for units is continuing, according to HIA economist Maurice Tapping. But he says there are still constraints on land, construction and investment. “Despite modest improvements in housing approvals, Australia continues to face a significant shortfall in housing supply,” he says.