98.
Overall, there is urgent need for considerable Government investment in additional
social housing stock and income subsidies in order to meet current and future
demand. Analysis of current trends suggests that between 2000 and 2500 new social
housing units per year, over the next decade, will be required to ensure current levels
of social housing provision is at least maintained.130 Demand for the Accommodation
Supplement is also projected to increase significantly over the next decade due to a
large increase in the population of super-annuitants aged 65 years and over who are
renting.131
99.
The new Government has announced a number of initiatives designed to address
housing deprivation and demand for social housing, including a commitment to
increase social housing stock132. In December 2017, the Minister for Housing
announced the Government’s Urban Growth Agenda, which includes using Housing
New Zealand surpluses to build new social housing. The Government has also
announced that it will establish a Housing Commission to lead large scale public
housing developments133
Recommendation 18
a. Develop and implement a national housing strategy linked to UNSDG 2030 target 11.1
which addresses the shortcomings identified in the Government’s 2018 Housing
Stocktake report. This should include implementing the New Zealand Strategy to End
Homelessness no later than July 2019.
b. Urgently introduce legislation requiring minimum quality standards for heating and
insultation in rental homes.
c. Urgently review/amend the Residential Tenancies Act to provide greater security of
tenure rights to tenants; in particular households with dependent children/vulnerable
adults.
d. Take urgent measures to reduce the waiting list for social housing through increasing
social housing provision, collaboratively with local government, iwi, non-profit providers,
including at the supply side.
e. Ensure that income supplements targeted at accommodation costs are sufficient to meet
CPI increases for rent and are weighted according to region.
32