By Radio New Zealand
New research just published by the Child Poverty Action Group around rental housing stock and costs in Aotearoa puts numbers to support the position already adopted by the WHI; whilst we might be adding more housing stock overall (that's a good thing), affordable housing stock available is actually decreasing. And that's been through a period of modest migration gain - so as we open our borders again, additional pressure will once more come on the available stock, and increasing unaffordability appears inevitable.
More detail on the research can be found here:https://www.cpag.org.nz/.../cpag-analysis-of-affordable...Closing our eyes and pretending not to see has not been an effective strategy for the past 30 or 40 years - and is unlikely to serve us well in to the next decade.
WHI is part of leading the regionally aligned strategy for system change in the housing continuum - the system is broken and intervention with new models for renters and buyers are required.Without intervention affordability will not be delivered and the housing crises will deepen.
Rent-to-buy and other forms of shared equity and progressive homeownership models, Build-to-rent schemes, more permissive papakainga and other co-housing rules from councils, Inclusionary Zoning and release of unused council and crown land for housing purposes are all initiatives that must be progressed with urgency now.
