Here's what the Housing Minister is planning - and how it might work.

Housing Minister Chris Bishop has told real estate agents that the government wants to “flood the market” with opportunities for housing development.

It has agreed to a range of changes that would free up land for housing, and, the government hopes, make housing more affordable.

My rough summary of proposal:

  • Most cities will be required to have zoned enough land for 30 years of housing demand all the time
  • These cities won’t be allowed to determine urban/rural boundaries
  • Must intensify, especially around major public transport routes. If they decide not to for character reasons, then equivalent capacity must be opened up in another area
  • cafes, dairies, etc (mixed use) must be allowed in residential areas
  • appartments not allowed to have minimum floor area or requirement for balcony set by council
  • councils already intensifying under a previous agreement (MDRS) will keep this, but if they change it then they have to move to using new rules

Let me know if I’ve got something wrong!

  • @[email protected]
    6•5 months ago

    Sounds good on a headline but I think the policy misses a huge opportunity and will ultimately only help rich people.

    Theyre right in that Flooding the housing market with houses is the only way to bring the cost down. But national is letting housing developers try and fill the demand gap Housing developers will build houses to make money but not enough to fill the demand gap. It’s also not going to work because the demand is to high and housing developers don’t want to “flood the market”

    If the housing was built and owned by the government at least it could be used as a safety net for the people unable to keep up with rising house prices. In nationals situation developers win, people who can afford to own investment properties win, renters lose and poor people lose.

    Every dollar the government “saves” not building those houses will be spent renting emergency housing from those developers or subsiding rent for people who can’t afford to live in them.

    • @[email protected]
      3•5 months ago

      You say this as though “housing developers” are one entity that works together, rather than a group of businesses all competing with each other, and not necessarily all that fond of the competition.

      • @[email protected]
        3•5 months ago

        Housing developers are a group that lobby political parties for policy that is in all their interest so it’s i think its fair to lump them into a single group here. They have gotten what they want.