The outgoing head of the Reserve Bank says high cost of housing had led to "intergenerational issues", saying many younger Australians will only be able to buy into the expensive Sydney market with the help of mum and dad.

In an interview with News Corp, Glenn Stevens, said while it has always been hard to get into the housing market, there were many factors involved today, including: zoning, transport, infrastructure and changed preferences of where people want to live.

The 58-year old said a lot of parents of his generation would end up financially assisting their children into the property market.

"I think that a lot of people of my generation are actually going to find themselves, if they haven't already, helping their children into the housing market because that may be almost the only way that their children can enter the Sydney market," he said.