The social damage wrought by homes as commoditites
A recent UN report highlights the waste of treating homes as commodities. It should sound awfully familiar in the NZ context.
housing crisis
English reckons the collapse of NZ’s housing is “a good problem to have”
In every case a failure to plan, a failure to deliver, and a glib attempt to fob off the victims of his government’s failure.
You can’t afford a house because of – plants!
I’m used to hearing some pretty pathetic excuses out of the National government. But this will really take some beating.
Two big policy fails
This is what you get with a hasty, reactive, “top down” policy process.
Nick Smith screws up again
We should probably just schedule this as a monthly post.
English “will be taken down by housing”
In the middle of a housing crisis “Housing New Zealand documents obtained under the Official Information Act show that there are nearly 2,500 empty state houses, more than 500 of which have been empty for over a year.”
Watch Bill English lying through his teeth on housing
English is a less convincing liar than Key.
Rudman on Nats’ total housing fail
Rudman: “The Prime Minister, in his role in charge of Housing New Zealand, and Smith have spectacularly failed to solve Auckland’s housing crisis over several years.”
Dire warnings of the bleeding obvious
Warnings from the government and the Reserve Bank that first home buyers are taking on too much debt. Prices are too high, wages are too low, interest rates are rising. These warnings are effectively telling the average first home buyer to give up.
Housing “affordability” blowout
Andrew Little was on RNZ this morning talking housing affordability. “The amount people are having to borrow for their first home has increased 43 percent in the last two years.”
There is no housing crisis
Paula Bennett has announced a new spend of $300 million to address the non existing housing crisis. But the announcement appears to be little more than a refinancing of Housing Corp and an admission that the Government should have stopped taking Housing Corp dividends years ago.
The main risk to New Zealand according to John Key
John Key is pretty good at providing media commentary on what problems New Zealand faces. But is he any good at addressing those problems?
Land banking – National gives up on housing crisis
As the average Auckland house price hits $1 Million, the Special Housing Areas fail, and Real Estate agents openly promote land banking, what does National do? Why, they give up, of course.
Nick Smith commits to raising average wage to $250,000
Great news everyone! On The Nation this morning Nick Smith committed to raising average NZ wage to $250,000!
The Spinoff: Housing crisis costing Nats
The Spinoff: “Lose the top of your party vote in Auckland, with Labour making ground, and the picture for the general election in 2017 looks like, walks like and quacks like a crisis.”
Chart of the day: The “building boom”
Foreign buyers estimated at 29%
Most of the media has reported the Government’s “3%” spin on the extent of residential property purchases in NZ going to foreign buyers pretty uncritically. There have been honourable exceptions, and yesterday property editor Anne Gibson in The Herald joined them.
Fleeing Auckland
Spinoff: “The Spinoff/SSI survey reveals the extraordinary impact of housing crisis on residents of New Zealand’s biggest city – and the extent to which Aucklanders blame foreign speculation.”
Andrew Little on housing
Andrew Little: “John Key will give you all the excuses you can stomach for his failure to stabilise house prices and boost incomes but the truth is clear: if we want to change the path we’re on, we need to change the government.”
Tents warehouses and driveways
Tents and warehouses have been considered as emergency housing. Working people sleeping in cars are looking for driveways to rent. Say – has anyone seen John Key lately?
Affordable housing fail – we can’t rely on the private sector
To the complete surprise of no one, private sector developers have largely waited out the “affordable houses” requirement in the special housing areas. Another National failure.
Immigration jobs and housing
Until we sort out our housing and unemployment problems it is surely time to reign in NZ’s currently record levels of immigration.
Labour’s Kiwibuild is popular
More good news for the political left in the fine print of yesterday’s Newshub-Reid Research poll.
Nats contradicting each other on panicked infrastructure policy
From Newshub:
Al Jazeera on NZ homeless – watch it and weep
Al Jazeera: Once a pioneer of the social welfare state, New Zealand now has over 40,000 people who are homeless, forced to live in their cars and in garages as a result of rapid house price and rent rises and a shortage of social housing. Al Jazeera … charts the country’s fall from and egalitarian society to one with deep divisions of wealth
Government puts 15% tax on foreign house buyers
No, not our government. Though as the average NZ house price just hit $600,000, and Auckland just short of $1m, they really should.
Listen to Nick Smith trying to defend fudged foreign ownership data
Anyone who believes the Nats’ figures needs to listen to yesterday’s interview – Why won’t Nick Smith answer this one simple question? Excellent work from Garner.
We can’t say we weren’t warned
When the Auckland housing bubble bursts a lot of people are going to lose a lot of money. They won’t be able to say they weren’t warned.
The Ray White – China deal
Real Estate agent Ray White has formed a partnership with China’s Lianjia to market NZ houses to about 260 million Chinese buyers. They say it’s the government’s problem – and they’re right.
Unitary Plan – affordability requirements removed
What are the Nats doing removing a proposed requirement for affordable housing – exactly the housing that Auckland desperately needs!?
Metiria speaks the unspeakable – house prices should fall
Not often you’ll catch Metiria Turei and Don Brash in agreement!
Who could build social housing?
The plan to have the private sector build social housing appears to be a flop. We need a large, well resourced organisation to take on the task of building these desperately needed houses. Wherever will we find one?
WINZ sends families to live in garages
The government is demolishing and selling state house while WINZ sends families to live in garages. This is New Zealand in the Eighth Year of the Brighter Future.
Auckland without workers
The unaffordability of Auckland housing is now seriously impacting even moderately well paid professions. As these trends continue, how is Auckland going to cope without without workers?
O’Sullivan and Watkins – warnings to the Nats
Even National’s fans are worried for them these days. The “third termitis” meme is becoming well established.
More bold intervention needed
National Labour and the Greens are all proposing to intervene in the market to do something about the housing crisis. What other policy areas are there where the parties can agree on active state intervention?