The report is one in a series by Te Tapeke Fair Futures panel, convened by Royal Society Te Apārangi to consider a range of important public issues through a fairness lens.
“Differences in housing are a huge part of inequity in Aotearoa New Zealand,” says panel member Distinguished Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman CNZM QSO FRSNZ, University of Otago, Wellington, “but the wide-reaching impact on our society also means that if we solve the housing issue, we all benefit, not just those struggling to find decent housing.”
The report sets out a brief history of housing and looks at a number of topics such as Te Tiriti o Waitangi, affordability, home ownership, renting, priorities in public housing and homelessness.
“The housing shortage is critical,” says Professor Howden Chapman. “It is showing up in increasingly unaffordable house and rental prices. Home ownership is at its lowest since the 1950s and renting has become less affordable. The waiting list for public housing continues to grow and homelessness is a serious problem that has grown with the housing shortage.
“There currently aren’t enough affordable houses in New Zealand to meet demand, driven mostly by a combination of rapid population growth and a shortage of compact new builds for low- and modest-income households, close to neighbourhood amenities and public transport.” Read the full media statement.