Push for standard zoning as housing crisis stacks high

Standard zones for housing density would help meet the need for homes, a report on the crisis says. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

Housing stock is going backwards and won't improve unless planning approvals for higher density are easier in every capital city, a report warns.

While the federal government celebrates the early success of a scheme getting more buyers into their first homes, progress could grind to a halt unless more homes are built where people want to live.