Housing Advocate Calls for Greater State Housing Investment to Address Crisis

Vanessa Cole, spokesperson for Public Housing Futures, welcomed the Labour Party’s promise to build 6000 homes and create jobs. Cole stated that the organization needed many more homes to address the housing crisis, noting that 19,000 households are currently on the housing register. She added that state housing currently accounts for only 4% of the housing stock, compared to the OECD average of 7%.

The comments highlight the gap between current housing supply and the needs of those on the housing register. Cole stated that to reach OECD average levels, the government would need to build hundreds of thousands of homes. The organization also noted that 78% of New Zealanders supported the government doing more to address the housing crisis through state housing construction.