How will Australia’s growing population put pressure on housing availability and house prices? The Federal Government’s Intergenerational Report says our population will increase 65% to almost 36 million people by 2050. From those numbers, Melbourne and Sydney may have to find homes for 7 million people. Brisbane would double its population by 2050. Australia already suffers from a housing shortage with the government's National Housing Supply Council estimating a shortfall of more than 200,000 dwellings by 2013. Property developers say this gap will continue to drive up house prices. Their answer? More land releases. But some urban planners say expanding the city fringes is unsustainable and that Australians must change the way we live to cope with a higher population. They say medium and high density living is the future - but are Australians ready for it?