Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Kiri Gillespie: Bay of Plenty housing crisis paints a bleak future

Kiri Gillespie
By Kiri Gillespie
Assistant News Director and Multimedia Journalist·Bay of Plenty Times·
9 Oct, 2020 09:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Bay of Plenty house prices continue to soar but the incomes aren't keeping up, prompting concern at more people being left without a home. Photo / File

Bay of Plenty house prices continue to soar but the incomes aren't keeping up, prompting concern at more people being left without a home. Photo / File

OPINION

Who would have thought the simple notion of owning a home would become such an impossible dream?

But for so many Bay of Plenty people, it has.

The startling figures in today's paper reveal the plight of so many local people living in overcrowded homes, transitional housing, or on couches and in cars, as the region's housing crisis deepens.

In Rotorua, homes now cost more than 18 times the median income of residents and rents have soared more than 50 per cent in five years.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It's not much better in Tauranga and the Western Bay, where houses were estimated to cost more than 10 times the median household income, both above the national average of nine.

These spiralling costs translate to into a sad reality for the Bay of Plenty.

Gone are the days where the stereotype of a homeless person was a drunk guy in rags begging for change on the side of the street.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The homeless status has evolved to include pensioners, young mothers and their children, working men in the prime of their lives – your everyday Kiwi.

How did we get to this point?

Discover more

Kiri Gillespie: Who I think the dark horse is in the local election race

13 Sep 02:00 AM

Kiri Gillespie: Vulnerable but brave, Todd Muller I salute you

24 Sep 07:31 PM

End of Life Choice referendum: All you need to know

03 Oct 06:00 PM

For and against: Where those in the Bay's health sector stand on cannabis

04 Oct 03:00 AM

Unless you are fortunate to have a high-paying job, are in a relationship with a dual, decent income, or have help from family, owning your own home is essentially an unobtainable goal.

I believe spending habits also play a part. Modern society appears to have shifted to an 'everything now' expectation.

It reminds me of people I know who complain of how hard it is to get a house but they also spend their pay check on the latest car, expensive clothing, new phones and buying lunches.

But I also know people who have for years worked hard and saved hard yet still get outbid at an auction, usually by Aucklanders with more cash in the pocket.

How demoralising.

Whether an Auckland exodus pushing up prices is part of it, or bad budgeting from wannabe homeowners, it appears the average person simply can't afford to buy a home.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The latest figures reflect this.

And having enough homes in the first place is another factor.

People working at the coalface of the local social services sector say they're dealing with a "bottleneck effect" of being unable to move people on from transitional housing due to a lack of homes to place them, while also trying to manage increasing demand for their services.

It shouldn't be this way but what is the answer to such a complex issue?

Te Taumata o Ngati Whakaue Iho Ake Trust's Jordan Harris, from Rotorua, says there "isn't an easy fix". He suggests pooling resources and working together to think outside the box.

I agree. We can't continue like this.

What future is there for the region if people can't afford to actually live here? When income can't keep up with house prices and rents, the next logical step for many will be outcomes such as homelessness, sleeping in cars, social housing, living with family - or moving elsewhere.

If things don't change, the Bay of Plenty risks becoming the Bay of Empty.

What a sad future to head into.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

09 Jul 06:00 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Rain train: Weather watches keep rolling in for Bay of Plenty

09 Jul 01:32 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'I wasn't prepared to wait': Youngest Govt MP on seizing his big opportunity

09 Jul 12:26 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

09 Jul 06:00 AM

Whakarewarewa dominated Te Puna with a 57-10 win in Rotorua.

Rain train: Weather watches keep rolling in for Bay of Plenty

Rain train: Weather watches keep rolling in for Bay of Plenty

09 Jul 01:32 AM
'I wasn't prepared to wait': Youngest Govt MP on seizing his big opportunity

'I wasn't prepared to wait': Youngest Govt MP on seizing his big opportunity

09 Jul 12:26 AM
'Ecstatic' reunion: Cat found after year-long disappearance

'Ecstatic' reunion: Cat found after year-long disappearance

09 Jul 12:00 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP