Key Takeaways
- Homelessness in New Zealand has reached its highest ever level, driven by a chronic shortage of affordable and social housing.
- Community Housing Aotearoa urges the construction of 3,000 new social and affordable homes each year for the next decade.
- Ending homelessness is described as a political choice; the sector believes the nation has the programmes and capacity to succeed if there is sufficient will.
- The accommodation supplement is labelled a “spectacular failure” that funnels public money to private landlords rather than solving housing need.
- Structural gaps—such as people exiting hospitals, prisons, or psychiatric care straight into homelessness—must be closed through better inter‑agency coordination.
- Tailored, locally‑led solutions, especially Māori‑ and Pacific‑led approaches, are essential to address disproportionate impacts.
- Māori comprise 28.8 % of the homeless population despite being only 17.1 % of the total populace; Pacific peoples represent 22.6 % of homeless individuals while making up ~8 % of the population.
- Over half of those experiencing homelessness are under 24 years old, with youth homelessness seen as a pathway into adult homelessness.
- Removing barriers such as tenancy age limits, restrictive succession rules, and exclusionary criteria (past evictions, lack of ID, criminal history) is critical for young people.
- The sector remains optimistic, asserting that ending homelessness is achievable with sustained investment and collaborative effort.
Introduction and Current State
Community Housing Aotearoa’s latest report warns that homelessness in New Zealand has climbed to its highest level ever recorded. The organisation, which represents community housing providers across the country, points to a severe shortage of affordable and social housing as the primary driver. Chief executive Paul Gilberd emphasises that the crisis is not inevitable but a consequence of policy choices and insufficient investment. He argues that New Zealand possesses the necessary programmes, expertise, and capacity to end homelessness if political leaders demonstrate the will to act decisively. The report sets the stage for a call to action that frames housing as core social infrastructure rather than a discretionary expense.
Call for Massive Housing Investment
To reverse the trend, Community Housing Aotearoa is urging the government to commit to building 3,000 new social and affordable homes each year for the next ten years. Gilberd explains that this level of sustained delivery would begin to close the widening gap between housing supply and demand, particularly in the lower quartiles of the market where need is greatest. He stresses that such investment is not merely charitable but an economically sound strategy that yields long‑term assets for the public balance sheet. By treating housing as infrastructure, the state can secure both financial returns and extensive social benefits, including reduced pressure on health, justice, and welfare systems.
Political Will and Budget Priorities
Gilberd welcomed recent government moves toward social‑housing reform but warned that current efforts amount to “tinkering around the edges.” He insists that politicians must be far more bold, treating the housing crisis as a priority on par with education or healthcare. The upcoming Budget, he argues, offers a critical opportunity to allocate significant funds directly to affordable housing projects. Gilberd challenges the Treasury’s prevailing philosophy that borrowing to build homes is a poor fiscal decision, asserting instead that housing investment is among the best uses of public capital because it creates usable assets that generate savings across multiple sectors over decades.
Critique of Accommodation Supplement
The accommodation supplement—a subsidy intended to help low‑income households meet rental costs—is labelled by Gilberd a “spectacular failure.” He contends that too much of the funding ends up enriching private landlords rather than increasing the stock of affordable homes. This misallocation exacerbates the underlying undersupply and does little to improve long‑term housing security for recipients. Gilberd calls for a reassessment of the supplement’s design, suggesting that resources would be better spent on direct construction or acquisition of social housing that provides stable, affordable tenancies.
Historical Undersupply and Structural Gaps
New Zealand has faced a cumulative undersupply of affordable housing since the market reforms of the late 1980s and early 1990s. For forty years, construction in the lower‑value quartiles has lagged behind demand, creating a structural deficit that persists today. Gilberd highlights that individuals leaving hospitals, prisons, or psychiatric care often find themselves homeless because discharge planning lacks coordinated housing arrangements. He argues that closing these gaps—through better inter‑agency data sharing, joint discharge protocols, and pre‑release housing plans—would yield “tremendous outcomes” by preventing people from falling into homelessness at critical transition points.
Early Intervention and Systemic Failures
The report stresses that preventing homelessness requires intervening well before a person reaches crisis point. Early‑intervention measures include ensuring that no one is released from institutional care without a confirmed housing placement. Gilberd notes that the current system’s fragmentation means that responsibility often slips between agencies, leaving vulnerable people without support. By integrating housing considerations into health, justice, and social‑service planning, the state can catch individuals earlier and provide the stability needed to avoid chronic homelessness.
Tailored, Locally‑Led Solutions
Recognising that a one‑size‑fits‑all approach fails to address diverse community needs, Gilberd advocates for more tailored, locally‑led housing solutions. He specifically highlights the importance of Māori‑ and Pacific‑led initiatives, which bring cultural relevance and community trust to housing provision. Such approaches can better respond to local land availability, iwi aspirations, and cultural concepts of whānau and communal living. Empowering iwi, hapū, and Pacific community organisations to lead housing projects not only improves outcomes but also respects Treaty obligations and promotes self‑determination.
Disproportionate Impact on Māori and Pacific Peoples
The data presented in the report reveal stark inequities: Māori constitute 28.8 % of the homeless population while representing only 17.1 % of New Zealand’s total populace. Pacific peoples account for 22.6 % of those experiencing homelessness despite comprising roughly 8 % of the population. These figures underscore the heightened vulnerability of these groups, driven by factors such as discrimination, lower average incomes, and historical dispossession. Gilberd argues that any effective homelessness strategy must prioritise equity, allocating resources and designing programmes that directly address the barriers faced by Māori and Pacific communities.
Youth Homelessness and Barriers
More than half of all people experiencing homelessness are under the age of 24, illustrating that youth homelessness is not a separate issue but a pathway into adult homelessness. The report calls for early, age‑appropriate responses alongside the removal of structural barriers that disproportionately affect young people. Specific obstacles include tenancy age limits that restrict 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds from signing leases, restrictive succession rules that prevent young people from inheriting family tenancies, and exclusionary criteria based on past evictions, lack of identification, or criminal history. Reforming these policies, Gilberd asserts, would open housing pathways for youth and reduce the flow into chronic homelessness.
Optimism and Sector Resolve
Despite confronting findings, Gilberd expresses optimism that the sector remains committed to ending homelessness. He declares, “We’re never going to give up, not until everybody’s housed,” reflecting a collective determination among community housing providers, iwi, and advocacy groups. The optimism is grounded in the belief that New Zealand possesses the technical know‑how, financial mechanisms, and social will to solve the crisis—provided that leadership translates intent into concrete, funded action. The report concludes with a rallying call for sustained investment, collaborative policy‑making, and a steadfast focus on housing as a fundamental human right.