Housing in NZ is among the least affordable in the world, despite a recent fall in house prices. Pressure is now growing from property investors and homeowners to allow the housing market to heat up again. While all the major parties say more needs to be done to ensure everyone has affordable housing, there are major differences in how they propose to go about it. Should the state take the lead in building more houses, or loosen the rules to encourage private investors?
Housing in NZ is among the least affordable in the world, despite a recent fall in house prices. Pressure is now growing from property investors and homeowners to allow the housing market to heat up again. While all the major parties say more needs to be done to ensure everyone has affordable housing, there are major differences in how they propose to go about it. Should the state take the lead in building more houses, or loosen the rules to encourage private investors?
Introduce a tax on urban residential land
Require a 100 percent deposit for properties purchased for investment purposes
Share all GST revenue from new residential building with local councils
Create a $3 billion fund for social housing
Support more housing density in central cities and around transport nodes
Limit rent increases to three percent or less per year
Require landlords to disclose previous rent levels to new tenants
Introduce a Rental Warrant of Fitness for all rentals
Require all bedrooms in rental homes to have adequate heating
Introduce a landlord register
Provide extra height allowance for developments that meet sustainability and other standards
Build 35,000 new public houses over five years
Increase the production of high-quality off-site manufactured homes
Provide an underwrite to support community housing providers building new rental homes
Cap rent for council housing at 25 percent of income
Remove regulatory barriers to allow Māori to build on their own land
Increase wrap-around services for those who are homeless
Introduce a wealth tax
Prohibit new fossil fuel gas connections in most cases
Provide grants and loans for home energy efficiency improvements
Make clean energy improvements tax deductible for rental properties
Expand programme that installs solar electricity in social housing
Broaden the scope of Warmer Kiwi Homes to include more zero carbon upgrades
Support community energy initiatives
Establish Healthy Air standards for building ventilation
Deliver housing suitable for multi-generational families
Reform student accommodation standards
Expand energy efficiency scheme for low income households
Create ventilation standards for homes to reduce airborne illnesses
Increase funding for Māori to build on their own land
Tax undeveloped land
Introduce tax on vacant houses
Build 2000 houses on Māori land over two years
Allocate half of new social housing to Māori
Require all new houses to be fully accessible
Make existing public housing fully accessible
Increase the accommodation supplement for seniors
Develop a seniors housing plan
Oppose a wealth or capital gains tax
Continue to invest in housing for Māori
Support Māori to better access funds to install sustainable infrastructure on marae and papakainga
Introduce a papakainga planning standard
Continue supporting progressive home ownership funds for Māori
Explore low interest loan finance and grants for housing projects for whānau
Continue fund for building and upgrading infrastructure
Provide tax rebates for improving energy efficiency in existing houses
Provide rebates for installing rooftop solar and battery storage
Increase funding for community renewable energy projects
Continue programme that installs solar panels on social housing
Build 6000 more public houses with improved accessibility
Make it easier to use KiwiSaver to purchase first homes
Require tenancy managers to be licensed
Abolish the bright line test for tax on property sales
Allow landlords to deduct interest costs from income tax
Share half of GST revenue from new residential building with local councils
Replace the Building Act with compulsory building insurance
Abolish the Progressive Home Ownership Scheme and the First Home Grant
Revert the bright-line test for tax on property sales to two years
Allow interest deductibility on loans for rental properties
Require councils in major towns and cities to release more land for housing development
Retain rules requiring councils to zone for six storeys close to public transport
Remove some protections for undeveloped land near cities
Standardise infrastructure funding process for councils at their debt limits
Pay councils for consenting additional houses
Make housing growth a priority for transport funding
Replace foreign buyer ban with purchase tax for houses worth $2 million or more
Allow landlords to evict tenants without cause
Introduce a contestable funding model for building new social housing
Commission an independent review of Kāinga Ora
Review social housing tenancies in areas with high demand for social housing
Increase consultation requirements for new Kāinga Ora social housing
Evict disruptive or abusive tenants from Kāinga Ora social housing
Prioritise families living in cars or motels for more than 12 weeks for social housing
Require emergency housing grant recipients to spend grants in the area they currently live in
Pay bonuses to social housing providers who shift people from emergency to secure accommodation
Amend tax and foreign investment laws to encourage build-to-rent housing
Introduce tax on foreign house buyers and local buyers with three or more properties
Use financial levers to help people buy homes
Reduce compliance costs to lower house prices
Restrict land banking
Reform the Resource Management Act to free up land for housing
Relax building material regulations
Consider reducing immigration to reduce housing demand
Introduce a a 10-year guarantee on new builds
Allow insured builders and designers to self-approve some work
Introduce a tax on urban residential land
Require a 100 percent deposit for properties purchased for investment purposes
Share all GST revenue from new residential building with local councils
Create a $3 billion fund for social housing
Support more housing density in central cities and around transport nodes
Limit rent increases to three percent or less per year
Require landlords to disclose previous rent levels to new tenants
Introduce a Rental Warrant of Fitness for all rentals
Require all bedrooms in rental homes to have adequate heating
Introduce a landlord register
Provide extra height allowance for developments that meet sustainability and other standards
Build 35,000 new public houses over five years
Increase the production of high-quality off-site manufactured homes
Provide an underwrite to support community housing providers building new rental homes
Cap rent for council housing at 25 percent of income
Remove regulatory barriers to allow Māori to build on their own land
Increase wrap-around services for those who are homeless
Introduce a wealth tax
Prohibit new fossil fuel gas connections in most cases
Provide grants and loans for home energy efficiency improvements
Make clean energy improvements tax deductible for rental properties
Expand programme that installs solar electricity in social housing
Broaden the scope of Warmer Kiwi Homes to include more zero carbon upgrades
Support community energy initiatives
Establish Healthy Air standards for building ventilation
Deliver housing suitable for multi-generational families
Reform student accommodation standards
Expand energy efficiency scheme for low income households
Create ventilation standards for homes to reduce airborne illnesses
Increase funding for Māori to build on their own land
Tax undeveloped land
Introduce tax on vacant houses
Build 2000 houses on Māori land over two years
Allocate half of new social housing to Māori
Require all new houses to be fully accessible
Make existing public housing fully accessible
Increase the accommodation supplement for seniors
Develop a seniors housing plan
Oppose a wealth or capital gains tax
Continue to invest in housing for Māori
Support Māori to better access funds to install sustainable infrastructure on marae and papakainga
Introduce a papakainga planning standard
Continue supporting progressive home ownership funds for Māori
Explore low interest loan finance and grants for housing projects for whānau
Continue fund for building and upgrading infrastructure
Provide tax rebates for improving energy efficiency in existing houses
Provide rebates for installing rooftop solar and battery storage
Increase funding for community renewable energy projects
Continue programme that installs solar panels on social housing
Build 6000 more public houses with improved accessibility
Make it easier to use KiwiSaver to purchase first homes
Require tenancy managers to be licensed
Abolish the bright line test for tax on property sales
Allow landlords to deduct interest costs from income tax
Share half of GST revenue from new residential building with local councils
Replace the Building Act with compulsory building insurance
Abolish the Progressive Home Ownership Scheme and the First Home Grant
Revert the bright-line test for tax on property sales to two years
Allow interest deductibility on loans for rental properties
Require councils in major towns and cities to release more land for housing development
Retain rules requiring councils to zone for six storeys close to public transport
Remove some protections for undeveloped land near cities
Standardise infrastructure funding process for councils at their debt limits
Pay councils for consenting additional houses
Make housing growth a priority for transport funding
Replace foreign buyer ban with purchase tax for houses worth $2 million or more
Allow landlords to evict tenants without cause
Introduce a contestable funding model for building new social housing
Commission an independent review of Kāinga Ora
Review social housing tenancies in areas with high demand for social housing
Increase consultation requirements for new Kāinga Ora social housing
Evict disruptive or abusive tenants from Kāinga Ora social housing
Prioritise families living in cars or motels for more than 12 weeks for social housing
Require emergency housing grant recipients to spend grants in the area they currently live in
Pay bonuses to social housing providers who shift people from emergency to secure accommodation
Amend tax and foreign investment laws to encourage build-to-rent housing
Introduce tax on foreign house buyers and local buyers with three or more properties
Use financial levers to help people buy homes
Reduce compliance costs to lower house prices
Restrict land banking
Reform the Resource Management Act to free up land for housing
Relax building material regulations
Consider reducing immigration to reduce housing demand
Introduce a a 10-year guarantee on new builds
Allow insured builders and designers to self-approve some work
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