Plan for 3,000 more public homes by 2025 – regions set to benefit

Housing

Regions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods.

“We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one in six homes in New Zealand’s entire public housing stock having been delivered in the last six years,” Megan Woods said.

“Most of the 13,000 public homes delivered are brand new builds, and we’ve provided over 4,000 more transitional homes with wrap around services, but we’re just getting started.

“The Updated Public Housing Plan: Including 2024 -2025 delivery outlines where in New Zealand, the 3,000 additional homes announced in Budget 2023, will go.

“Regions like the Bay of Plenty will get up to an extra 390 public homes and the East Coast up to 300 more homes, on top of what’s already in the pipeline. The update has a particular focus on increasing public housing in the regions compared to major metropolitan centres, which have seen strong public housing delivery to date,” Megan Woods said.

“We are on track to provide the 21,000 public and transitional homes we have funded, by 2025. This is a stark turnaround since the National government ended up with 1,500 fewer public homes than it started with, sucked out in $576 million in dividends, and failed to invest and build more housing.

“I’m immensely proud that our commitment to public housing is giving individuals and whānau living in unsuitable accommodation or who are homeless, a better chance to have a stable and affordable place to live,” Megan Woods said.

Notes to Editors

Public Housing

  • In October 2017 there were 66,234 public homes. As of July 2023, there are now 79,510, an increase of 13,276, including over 11,000 brand new builds.

Updated Public Housing Plan: Including 2024-2025 delivery

There will be ongoing Income Related Rent Subsidy and Operating Supplement commitments for the life of the 3,000 additional public housing properties.

  • The Government remains committed to the expectations set out in the Public Housing Plan 2021-2024, that is:
    • more public housing in regional centres and towns
    • more collaboration between Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, iwi and Māori, Community Housing Providers, local government, and the construction industry
    • an increase in the number of new-build public houses and a progressive decrease in the proportion of private market homes that are leased for public housing (with some exceptions)
    • target responses to different housing needs, especially for Māori, using Māori and Iwi Housing Innovation Framework for Action (MAIHI) and place-based approach.

Contribution of Community Housing Providers

  • Community Housing Providers (CHPs) play an integral role in delivering public housing. CHP's have strong community connections, knowledge and expertise in delivering housing which provides warm, safe, dry homes for vulnerable New Zealanders.  
  • CHPs contribute around 16 percent of the total public housing portfolio. By comparison, Kāinga Ora manages around 67,000 properties.
  • Since 2017 the number of registered Māori CHPs has increased from 6 to 28. Māori CHPs now make up 37 percent of all registered providers.