Imposing rent controls to ease the housing crisis would make the shortage of homes even worse over the long term, outgoing RBA governor Philip Lowe warned on Friday, saying politicians should resist the push for such short-term solutions.

As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prepares to host state and territory leaders on Wednesday to tackle soaring rents and rapidly shrinking housing supply, an unusually blunt Dr Lowe used his final parliamentary appearance to hammer home the point that the only solution to the housing crisis was to build more houses.