Aucklanders to make a stand for housing

Aucklanders are set to make a stand for housing tomorrow in a protest at Aotea Square.

A protest will be held tomorrow in Aotea Square on Queen Street to make some noise about the city's housing crisis locking people out of the property market. 

Young people, union members, and other Aucklanders will rally together tomorrow 24 September between 1-2pm to stand up for housing rights action.

The Monopoly-themed event will be hosted by Stand Up Youth Union Movement and Unions Auckland to shine a spotlight on the damaging effects of the crisis and call on local and central government to do a lot more to fix the housing market.

Spokesperson Hamish Hutchinson says that the crisis is one of the country’s biggest problems and it's time to change up the rules of the game.  

“For young people today, it’s like starting a game of Monopoly without even enough cash to even buy the very cheapest property on the board. Meanwhile, those who played before us still hold all the cards.

“We’re assembling tomorrow to express a deep anger for being cheated off the board," said Hutchinson. 

“The average Auckland house price is now over a million dollars, and that’s totally out of reach for most.

“If you don’t own a home yet, you’ve essentially been locked out of homeownership in Auckland for life. Housing should be a human right, and instead it’s been left to investors and speculators to abuse for private gain.

“With the current rate of house price inflation, the amount needed just for a deposit is growing faster than what the vast majority of people can save," Hutchinson said.