Opinion: Local government has role to play in providing affordable housing

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The chickens have come home to roost for governments and local councils. That was the prevailing view at the Affordable Housing Conference I attended last week in Sydney.

New Zealand is not the only country that has neglected the housing needs of its citizens over the past 30 years. You can include England and Australia too.

The one country that hasn't sat on its hands is Singapore. They put the housing of families first, especially those with young children. The government wants their best and brightest to remain in Singapore to work so they have concentrated on providing housing that meets the needs of young workers.

In Australia and New Zealand it is still the dream of most young families to one day own a house on a quarter-acre section. That section has been scaled back considerably nowadays though. But for many that dream now seems unattainable.

As our towns and cities grow and change, housing is coming under pressure. Inviting cities, those that people want to move to, provide a mix of wide-ranging activities with new groups of migrants adding to the "vibe" of the city with colour and flavour. And housing solutions require new thinking.

In the past decade there has been a dramatic rise in real estate in New Zealand, especially Auckland. Other areas are experiencing that now. And while this is good news for those who already own their homes our housing crisis is widening the divide between older homeowners and a younger generation, which is either locked out of home ownership or pushed to the fringes of our cities to find more affordable rent.

They are often dependent on good reliable public transport to get to and from work. Low to middle income workers are getting left behind.

The conference speakers, from a number of countries, asked those present to examine the problems, propose solutions and understand the interdependencies across the entire housing continuum. That covers social housing, crisis accommodation, rental market, affordable housing, private ownership: owner/occupier and private ownership: investor.

While highlighting problem areas the conference was solutions-focused with emphasis on the need for concerted and co-ordinated actions by government, councils, the market and the community.

I liked the move by Australia to mixed tenure in new housing developments. It makes sense as it is now widely recognised that concentration of public/social housing is a problem.

Negative effects show up in terms of health, education, crime, employment opportunities and welfare dependency. Neighbourhoods get stigmatised. Now small-scale housing projects have a mix of social, affordable and market houses.

The affordable homes are suitable for people at all stages of life. There are families with children, single households, shared houses and other types of contemporary housing arrangements.

Perhaps the definition of Affordable Housing needs to be updated as it is being asked to solve not just housing needs. Housing is about much more than just houses. It's about 1, access 2, choice and 3, stability. And this applies no matter where on the housing continuum a person is.

I was particularly interested to see where private developers are starting to work with community housing providers and institutional investors.

They are being brought together by the common issue of affordability, the trend towards mixed tenure and a recognition that benefits and solutions can be found through collaboration and shared opportunity.

It is obvious that affordable housing is not just the job of central government. Local government plays a vital part in delivering affordable housing in their communities.

They can ensure land is freed up and made available, that planning mechanisms support and encourage investment, and where necessary provide incentives for innovative housing solutions.

There is a role for all parties to play in assisting the demise of New Zealand's housing crisis.

Merepeka lives in Rotorua. She writes, speaks and broadcasts to thwart the spread of political correctness.