Economic reform in housing ‘urgent’

Press, 3 May 1977, Page 3

Economic reform in housing ‘urgent’

Wellington reporter The need for economic reiform in the housing market .seems to be urgent, accordling to a research paper prei pared for the National Housing Commission. The author said the need

; for reform was urgent if un-, I desirable social consequences ■-— homelessness, growing ; " | State housing lists and over-; "I crowding — were to be ' ■ avoided. This was the conclusion of ,;Ms Judith A. Davey, of -'Urban Research Associates,|in a research paper on :“Social Factors and Housing; (Need in New Zealand — am 'Overview” prepared for the! I National Housing Commis- ■ ision. I “Although the general; 'housing situation in Newi Zealand cannot be described as bad, and there are no; critical shortages, policy j ’ decisions in this area must I I take more account of human , - needs and how these vary j 1 over time and between. i'social groups,” she said. In the present situation, a .falling birth-rate was .'coupled with a probable de-t-crease in immigration to produce a lower rate of popjlulation growth than might! j have been expected even . five years ago. Married' i, couples produced fewer; II children, earlier in their; r married lives, although it: -seemed unlikely that the -average would fall below, I two children per family. - - The Maori population! r I while still having a higher | birthrate and larger average. 1 family size, was becoming I : more like the non-Maoris; j population in demographic; : characteristics.

“At the same time, however, the rate of household : - formation is increasing,' illustrated by growth in 1 h e a d-of-household rates,; which means that the need “for housing will grow in 1 “spite of a deceleration in thepopulation growth rate,” Ms. i Davey said. . As the rate of household j! formation increased there, - was a growing proportion of. households with one or two' I persons, reaching almost 45! !per cent predominantly of !the type designed for the; I traditional nuclear family of! i husband, wife and two to 'four children. I “Thus, there is a mis-j - match between housing need! and housing supply which must lead to under-utili-sa’ion of the housing stock,”, she said. “The increase in multiunit housing, mainly of the two-bedroomed type, is a re-' sponse to the demand from 'smaller households.” i The new households came 'from very distinct age-; ■ groups and so had varying needs. I “Probably the greatest 'housing requirement today is ,for greater choice and variiety for all age and social 'groups,” Ms Davey said. ; | “This greater diversity!; must obtain within local areas so that communities lean be more mixed and bal-j lanced socially,” she said. i