Everyone deserves a safe, warm, affordable home, whether they own or rent. Better urban planning and building practices can lead to healthier communities and better environmental outcomes.
Affordable, quality housing is a right
- No one should have to pay more than 30% of their income for a decent home. Housing NZ and community housing tenants should not pay more than 25% of their income on rent.
- A capital gains tax, excluding the family home, should disincentivise speculative property investment.
- Only New Zealand citizens and permanent residents should be able to buy land.
Renting should be affordable, stable, and ensure living standards
- A warrant of fitness for rental properties should include insulation, clean heating, weather-tightness, and basic service standards (e.g. water supply).
- People who rent should enjoy security, stability and be protected from unreasonable rent increases.
- Government should support tenants’ advocacy groups.
A range of sustainable non-market and market housing solutions is needed
- Housing NZ should be resourced to build more state homes, as well as upgrade existing state homes. This should be linked to local employment and apprenticeship schemes.
- Government should enable community groups to contribute to housing supply.
- Affordable housing should be created through progressive home-ownership rent-to-buy schemes.
- Government should reduce barriers to housing developments on Maori land and insure finance is available for papakainga and other iwi and hapu-led housing developments.
We can end homelessness in Aotearoa New Zealand
- Central government should work with local councils and community organisations to ensure there is enough specialist housing for people with health, mental health, or addiction issues.
- The government should regularly monitor and report on homelessness.
Better building and urban planning can help combat climate change
- Government should fund home insulation and other energy performance improvements, including solar power generation
- Government buildings should showcase sustainability and use local materials.
- The Building Code should be updated to require stronger energy efficiency and sustainability standards, encourage prefab buildings, and facilitate low-impact construction practices.
