The city official’s housing taskforce promises bold moves on supply, affordability and the quality of existing homes
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New Zealand’s capital could see a range of measures that aim to avoid the kind of housing issues seen in Auckland, if the Mayor’s Housing Taskforce recommendations are implemented.
“We all love Wellington and we want it to stay a vibrant, affordable place to live for everyone,” Mayor Justin Lester said, calling the plan an enormous opportunity that the city wants to “grab with both hands.”
The Taskforce was formed in late 2016 and includes representatives from the building industry, social services, public health sector, central government, and the property industry. Its recommendations were released on Thursday.
“The report released today is a practical road map for our city on housing. Its recommendations would be the most thorough reform of housing in our city in a generation,” the Mayor added.
The key measures recommended in the report are:
• The City needs to build thousands of new social and affordable houses – not leave it to the market;
• Introduce incentives for private developers to build thousands of homes as soon as possible. This will involve changes to land use and suburban density rules;
• The city needs to simplify and speed up the process of building homes;
• There needs to be a closer working relationship between central and local government including a new deal between the city and Housing NZ.
Deputy Mayor Paul Eagle led the taskforce and said that housing for Wellington’s most vulnerable must also be addressed and there must be improvement of existing housing stock, which could include financial incentives for landlords.
“We all love Wellington and we want it to stay a vibrant, affordable place to live for everyone,” Mayor Justin Lester said, calling the plan an enormous opportunity that the city wants to “grab with both hands.”
The Taskforce was formed in late 2016 and includes representatives from the building industry, social services, public health sector, central government, and the property industry. Its recommendations were released on Thursday.
“The report released today is a practical road map for our city on housing. Its recommendations would be the most thorough reform of housing in our city in a generation,” the Mayor added.
The key measures recommended in the report are:
• The City needs to build thousands of new social and affordable houses – not leave it to the market;
• Introduce incentives for private developers to build thousands of homes as soon as possible. This will involve changes to land use and suburban density rules;
• The city needs to simplify and speed up the process of building homes;
• There needs to be a closer working relationship between central and local government including a new deal between the city and Housing NZ.
Deputy Mayor Paul Eagle led the taskforce and said that housing for Wellington’s most vulnerable must also be addressed and there must be improvement of existing housing stock, which could include financial incentives for landlords.
