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Kāinga utu-pai
Affordable homes
Over the past few decades, not enough houses have been built to meet the demands of a rising and changing population. As a result, homes aren't affordable for renters or buyers.
Building more houses that are the right size, the right type and in the right place to meet the diverse needs of individuals and whānau will improve housing affordability in Aotearoa.
We need to build more affordable homes
To speed up the development of new affordable houses, we need to make it easier to build up and out in our major cities, unlock more land for housing development and support the development of the critical infrastructure needed to build a wider mix of affordable housing, both for owning and renting (including public housing).
We have a number of funds and programmes to increase housing supply and support individuals and whānau into renting and home ownership if they can’t afford to pay market rates.
Both owning and renting has become less affordable
Houses have become less affordable in New Zealand over the past few years, with rents rising alongside house prices. The Affordable Housing Fund will support the development of new, affordable homes for low-to-moderate income people and whānau, in locations facing the biggest housing supply and affordability challenges.
Our cities are changing, so we need innovative approaches to the way we live and the homes we build
Embracing different ways of living will help boost housing supply. As part of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development, councils have been asked to remove restrictive planning rules and allow more medium density housing in our major cities.
Build-to-rent properties, which are relatively new to New Zealand, are also medium-to-large scale, multi-unit residential housing developments. They're built to be rented out over the long-term, with leases typically running for several years, giving tenants more security and stability.
As house prices have increased, families who would once have bought a home have been priced out of home ownership
High house prices make saving a house deposit and qualifying for a home loan out of reach for many New Zealanders. But this isn’t the only way into home ownership. Options that could help get individuals and whānau into their own home faster include first home grants, low-deposit loans and progressive home ownership.
