6,400 more public housing places for New Zealanders by 2022

Aug 24, 2018 | News

Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford has released the 2018 Public Housing Plan which outlines the number and size of the homes which will be part of the biggest public housing programme in more than a decade.

The plan will see 3,550 new public housing places being made available in Auckland with thousands of much-needed new state houses in regions around New Zealand. This has been fully funded through a combination of:

• $234.4 million in operating funding from Budget 2018,

• $2.9 billion of Housing New Zealand borrowing from third parties, with a further $900 million from its operations.

Phil Twyford said the national housing crisis had hurt too many New Zealanders: “From those locked out of the Kiwi dream of home ownership, to those left homeless and those suffering the health effects of poor quality housing.

“The single most important thing the Government can do to solve the housing crisis is to build more affordable homes, and the best way to tackle homelessness is to build more public housing.

“Nationwide, there are currently 67,228 public housing places, giving families and individuals warm, dry, and safe homes, for as long as they need it.

“Public housing is an essential part of helping families and vulnerable people with one of their most basic needs, housing. The waiting list for a state house – now at 8704 – shows the extent of the suffering in our communities.” Phil Twyford said.

Over the next four years the Ministry of Social Development will work with Housing New Zealand and community housing providers to build as many additional public housing places as possible, within available funding – this may mean that the number of additional public housing places built by 2022 is more than 6,400.

“It will take bold action to fix the housing crisis created over the past decade and the Public Housing Plan is another step in the right direction. Demand for housing changes all the time, and we’ll constantly monitor what’s needed across the country and will continue to invest in places where New Zealanders need public housing the most.” said Phil Twyford.

Regional breakdown

Northland*
Current public housing supply in the region (includes IRRS and market rent places for HNZ and CHPs and HNZ vacancies)	2,041
Current public housing tenancies (includes IRRS and market rent places)	2,016
Total number of additional public housing places being sought by June 2022	180
Number of additional public housing places being sought that are already in the pipeline (HNZ and CHP)	110
Number of additional public housing places still being sought in the Plan, above and beyond the pipeline	70
Households receiving an income-related rent subsidy (IRRS)	1,973
Register demand is greatest for places with	one and two-bedroom places
TLA with the biggest growth in demand for public housing compared to other TLAs in the region (compared to 30 June 2017).	Whangarei district (up 87 applicants)

Northland region factsheet (PDF 501.93KB)