Housing supply

Our vision for Aotearoa in 2040: A healthy home is a human right

• High-quality public housing meets the needs of Aotearoa NZ.


• Housing is affordable.

Nina is 4 years old. She’s in hospital with Rheumatic Fever. Nina’s house is crowded. There are 13 in her whānau including her siblings, parents, Nanny and Poppa, aunts and cousins. Everyone squeezes into a 3-bedroom house. The living room is used as a sleeping space and Nina’s aunt and cousins slept in the garage through the first lockdown in April. Nina shares a bedroom with 3 of her siblings and the sisters top and tail in a set of bunkbeds.

Nina had complained of a sore throat, as had some of the other children in the house during the weeks of lockdown. When the other children recovered after a few days, her parents thought she would be okay. She was playing with her siblings, eating and did not show any symptoms other than her sore throat. One day Nina was slow to wake up. She was tired and lethargic, and said her arms and legs were hurting her. She felt hot and was flushed.

Nina and her whānau went to the hospital Emergency Department and imaging showed inflammation in Nina’s heart. Nina was admitted to the paediatrics ward and once a diagnosis of Rheumatic Fever was confirmed, she was started on antibiotics.

— Nina's mum Shannon

Whānau in overcrowded homes are our hidden homeless

Household crowding is Aotearoa NZ’s most dominant form of homelessness affecting more than 30,000 people. When housing affordability is low and supply is limited, many whānau on low incomes are forced to crowd together and turn to unsuitable forms of housing, like garages, sheds, caravans and cars. Doubling or tripling up the number of families in a home will share the costs of rent but increases the risk of infectious diseases spreading. Infections such as acute rheumatic fever, meningococcal disease, tuberculosis and skin infections are all strongly linked to household overcrowding.

Overcrowding can also be a factor in worsening mental wellbeing through loss of privacy and levels of noise. Family violence is also aggravated by overcrowded conditions, particularly where stress levels are high and situations unstable.

Urgent need for public housing

The demand for social housing has surged to 18,520 households in June 2020. Around 84% of these are Priority A — in the most urgent need. A social housing building program has progressed but has not moved fast enough to meet the waves of need as whānau struggle to find affordable housing. Since June 2018, 2813 new state houses have been built. Aotearoa NZ needs at least 6 times this number to meet existing demand, which is only projected to increase as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Just 2% of Aotearoa NZ’s housing meets accessibility standards.

Housing that meets the needs of disabled people is urgently needed. 17% of people with disabilities reported the need for housing modifications, with the greatest need for changes in the bathroom. The need is most pronounced in public housing. Over 900 disabled people and their families are waiting for housing which meets their accessibility needs. This means disabled people are living in homes that may be hazardous.

We call for all new public housing to be built to universal design standards. Houses that use universal design standards can be accessed, understood and used by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability. This means that homes are inclusive by design and importantly recognises that needs change over time. People’s accessibility and mobility needs may increase, particularly as they age, or if they are recovering from injury or illness.

Peter is 72. He lives alone in a rural area.

Peter had a farm accident, which forced him to retire early. He gets headaches and his arthritis has worsened, making moving around his house challenging.

As his mobility has decreased, Peter has found it harder to step over the side of the bath to use the shower. Outside his house, the handrail leading to his front steps needs fixing and the steps are slippery with moss. Peter relies on his walking stick but is worried about falling.

— Peter on his mobility after the accident

Fair housing

Our vision for Aotearoa in 2040 | Housing is fair

• The system is welcoming and supportive to those experiencing any form of homelessness, and addiction needs are embraced and supported by services.


• Residential tenancies are based on an integrated rental system structure where homes are safe and healthy, and tenants have secure tenure.

Jo is 35 and lives in a regional town.

Jo left an abusive relationship. The local women’s refuge had no room and she has been using all her connections to find somewhere to stay. While she waits for emergency housing, Jo is sleeping on friends’ couches while her kids are placed with foster families.

Jo’s goal is to have a house where she and the kids are safe. She’s doing her best to save a bond at her minimum wage job because she doesn’t know when the public housing system will come through for her.

— Jo on homelessness

Nearly 1% of our population is homeless

The number of people experiencing severe housing deprivation is conservatively estimated at 41,644 people — approximately 0.9% of the population. Compared with previous 2013 Census data analysis, it's estimated that severe housing deprivation has increased by 0.7% per 10,000 population — an increase of around 4400 people. This means that many people in Aotearoa NZ are struggling to find safe housing and don't have a home to call their own.

Our emergency housing system places whānau in desperate need of permanent housing in motels, only intended for short-term stays, until more permanent accommodation could be arranged. The current system doesn't meet the Government’s own definition of homelessness of 'rare, brief and non-recurring'. Emergency Housing Special Needs Grants are intended to cover 7 days’ accommodation. The average emergency housing stay in a motel is 7 weeks.

Reducing the reliance on motels as emergency accommodation must be a priority. Motels are only a stop-gap. The emphasis must be on providing safe, warm, dry and affordable homes for whānau. The reliance on motels to support our most vulnerable whānau is indicative of the scale of the issue. As a UN Special Rapporteur said in February 2020, it has moved from a housing crisis to a human rights crisis.

Anna is 25 and was made redundant due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Living in the city, housing costs are high. While Anna lives with 3 flatmates, her rent and bills takes up most of her income from her COVID-19 Income Relief Payments, which will end in September.

Anna’s marketing job gave her a good income and she was enjoying living in the inner city with many food and entertainment options. She had no savings and hasn’t been able to find a new job despite applying for dozens since her redundancy.

She’s worried they will be evicted if they miss rent payments, especially once they received notice that the landlord was increasing the rent by $40 a week once the COVID-19 Rent Freeze ends.

— Anna on the costs of housing