echo adrotate_group(33, 0, 0, 0);$3.8 billion towards new houses, a crack down on investors and more assistance for first home buyers were big items in the Government’s latest housing announcement, but did they get it right? Continue →

The Government has released its Public Housing Plan 2021-2024 which outlines the intention of where 8,000 additional public and transitional housing places announced in Budget 2020, will go The Public Housing Plan will focus on opportunities to build more homes in communities of severe housing deprivation. Continue →

The Government has suggested it will focus on retaining or even increasing house prices, something that was not signalled prior to the election, says Infrastructure New Zealand Policy Director Hamish Glenn Government prioritisation of house prices above the supply, quality and affordability of housing would be a serious concern and would lock in intergenerational inequality, poor productivity and low incomes. Continue →

Despite the sharpest economic downturn in 60 years, house prices in major markets remain relatively stable or on the way up Sydney properties are overpriced, ranking 16th in the UBS Global Real Estate Bubble report of 25 cities worldwide. Continue →

With private sector development forecast to plummet during this period of economic uncertainty, the government has a clear opportunity to support the residential construction industry and address New Zealand’s shortage of social housing, says economics consultancy Infometrics State houses being constructed on Kaihuia Street, Northland, Wellington (1938) The waiting list for state houses has more than quadrupled over the last four years, but high levels of construction have limited the government’s ability to respond to this burgeoning need. Continue →

Last week’s announcement of a 10 percent year-on-year decline in Auckland’s April dwelling consents and fall in the total number of new homes completed in the last quarter reinforces the importance of urgently implementing the Government’s Urban Growth Agenda before it is too late, says Stephen Selwood CEO of Infrastructure New Zealand The 1043 homes consented in April 2019 was down from 1163 in April 2018, according to recent data released by the Auckland Council’s Research and Evaluation Unit. Continue →