New research links poor housing to hospital admissions

A research paper conducted by the University of Otago that was published today has shown a strong link between damp, mouldy housing and hospital admissions for young children with respiratory infections.

"This research confirms the extra burden placed on too many families trying to keep their children safe. Poor housing standards that harm children are totally unacceptable”, said Green Party housing spokesperson Marama Davidson.

“We need to see more urgent progress on enforcing the Government’s healthy homes standards. Housing New Zealand is the country’s largest landlord and needs to lead the way on good housing.

“All rental properties in this country, whether private or state owned, need to free from damp and mould. We know children will continue to be sent to hospital because of preventable illnesses caused by the condition of their home. Our health system ends up working overtime for something that could be prevented through properly enforced standards.

“We need to see an enforceable “Warrant of Fitness” scheme for homes, so we can ensure that rentals are safe are and not harming people. The burden should not be on the tenants to raise safety issues with their landlord.

“It’s unacceptable that we still have rental properties that are making children sick. We are failing as a country if we allow poor living conditions to continue.

Action

Oppose New Zealand First’s Member’s Bill!

Support Trans Rights | Oppose the Gender Definition Bill

Action

Reject the Defining Gender Bill

Reject the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill introduced by New Zealand First.

Action

Disability Support System - Submission Guide

Uphold disability rights so disabled people and their whānau can thrive. Oppose the Disability Support Services Bill

Action

Oppose the 2026 budget

Sign our petition to show you oppose the Government's 2026 budget

Action

Leave our homes alone!

The Green Party is calling on the Government to stop its attack on people living in public housing - join our call today!

Action

Drug Overdose (Assistance Protection) Legislation Bill Submission Guide

Support Green MP Kahurangi Carter’s Bill to protect overdose emergency callers from legal risks!

Action

Keep Fees Free

Join our call to keep Fees Free for tertiary education!

Action

Protect Conservation Land

Sign out petition to oppose the Conservation Amendment Bill and protect conservation land!

Action

Stop the Fisheries Amendment Bill

Sign today to protect our moana.

Action

Electrify everything

Show your support for a National Electrification Plan!

Action

A home for everybody

A home for everybody - sign and share the open letter today!

Action

Tell us your stories about our special places

Share with us your stories about the places threatened by being fast tracked for mining permits.

Action

Protect our tamariki - Sign the open letter

Every child in Aotearoa deserves to grow up with safety and stability, wrapped in aroha. Sign our open letter today and help make that a reality!

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Housing Announcements

Story

National’s public housing reform ‘cuts costs’ at the expense of our most vulnerable

The Green Party is warning that the Government’s changes to public housing will see more public housing tenants evicted and driven deeper into pove...

Luxon confirms criminalisation of those he’s made homeless

Luxon’s decision to provide Police with the power to issue move-on orders to homeless people as young as 14 will have disastrous consequences for o...

Greens announce plan to end homelessness & fix housing crisis

The Green Party has announced today their new campaign A Home for Everybody, calling to end homelessness, fix renter’s rights, and end the housing ...

Increasing homelessness requires increased political commitment to end homelessness

The Green Party is calling on the Government to commit to solutions to end homelessness, following the National Homelessness Data Project’s latest ...

Govt homelessness announcement a drop in the ocean

The Government’s 300 new social housing places will fail to even begin to address the homelessness crisis in Aotearoa, says the Green Party.

Government rolls out red carpet for mega-rich on housing

The Green Party is calling out the Government for making it easier for wealthy overseas investors to buy a house here while many renters and home-b...

Story

New Report shows free dental service would cost less than current system

A new report from Dental for All confirms that New Zealand can afford a free, universal public dental service, the Green Party says.

Govt’s private hospital contracts little more than Band-Aid

The Government’s directive to give private hospitals 10-year outsourcing contracts to perform elective surgeries is yet another step down the path ...

NZ’s Public Health system dealt yet another blow

This morning’s announcement by the Health Minister regarding a major overhaul of the public health sector levels yet another blow to the country’s ...

Report highlights urgent need for “life-changing” free dental care

ActionStation’s Oral Healthcare report, released today, paints a dire picture of unmet need and inequality across the country, highlighting the urg...

Covid Inquiry report underlines need to invest in Health

The Green Party says the report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 Response underlines the need for proper investment in our he...

End of free RAT tests means more exposure to virus

The end of free Rapid Antigen Tests today is another sign the Government is giving up on the challenge of protecting the community from Covid-19.