Leaks crisis part of big house study

By ANNE GIBSON

The impact of leaky buildings on property sale prices is under study for a new Government-funded organisation which is commissioning a further $150,000 worth of research on the housing industry.

Massey University postgraduate student Song Shi is due to deliver his report into the effects of the problems to the Centre for Housing Research.

The centre was launched in August and has commissioned studies on many other property issues.

Centre manager Terrence Aschoff said Moses Alatini of Auckland University was researching housing issues for the Tongan community in Otara and his report was due next month.

The budget for these two papers is $12,000.

National property consultancy DTZ NZ is studying the changing structure of the housing sector.

Its report is due to be delivered to the centre at the end of next month.

The centre has budgeted $82,250 for the work, according to its website, which went live last month.

Massey University's Department of Finance, Banking and Property head Professor Bob Hargreaves has been commissioned to study home ownership trends, looking at levels of ownership historically and projecting patterns during the next decade.

The work on attitudes to home ownership and aspects of Maori housing - particularly new iwi and hapu-based home ownership schemes - has been allocated $36,000.

The report is due to be finished on April 2.

But the most extensive study is being conducted by the NZ Institute for Research on Ageing and Business & Economic Research (Berl), which is analysing the housing situation for people aged 65-plus, with special attention to low socio-economic groups, including Maori, Pacific Island people and women.

A budget of $189,929.25 has been allocated to this study, due in June.

Up for grabs is a further $150,000 for five studies with a budget of $30,000 each, all due to be delivered to the centre on June 11. These are to study:

* The impact of economic, social and environmental changes on Housing New Zealand's non-metropolitan regions, particularly during the past two decades.

* The economic, social and environmental impact of the housing market generally.

* Housing choices for the disabled.

* Housing costs and affordability, to be a comparison with Australia and other countries.

* The impact of financial circumstances on tenure choices, particularly that between private sector rental and home ownership.

The Centre for Housing Research was established through Housing New Zealand, which has provided $481,000 in funding.

Centre for Housing Research