House affordability falls - survey

Houses are going up by $30,000 a year but wages are only rising fractionally in one of the clearest illustrations of the worsening housing affordability crisis.

Massey University has just released its latest quarterly survey of home affordability and found the situation deteriorating in all but three regions throughout New Zealand.

"The average annual weekly wage increase of $28.06 was not enough to offset a $30,000 increase in the national median house price and an increase in the average mortgage interest rate from 5.52% to 5.86%," the survey found.

Affordability deteriorated in nine regions; Auckland [14.4%], Canterbury [11.7%], Southland [9.4], Otago [9.2%], Central Otago/Lakes [8.9%], Waikato [7.8%], Wellington [7.7%], Hawkes Bay [2.1%] and Nelson/Marlborough [1.2].

On a regional basis, three regions had improved annual affordability.

These were Manawatu/Wanganui [2.7%], Taranaki [1.2%] and Northland [0.2%]," the survey found.