Are women still bottom of the housing list?

Press, 15 July 1987, Page 17

Are women still bottom of the housing list?

‘Flexible ways of providing secure longterm living arrangements

must be found? Margaret Shields, Associate Minister of Housing, in her introduction to the report.

“Women’s views on housing,” a newly released report from the Housing Corporation, shows that women face difficulties in the housing market because of. their generally disadvantaged social position — and because housing policies unintentionally overlook their needs.

Women have traditionally had little influence on housing policy, design, and finance. They often Jived at home with their parents until they got married, when the husband took on the responsibility of providing accommodation. Few women — even if they assumed the responsibility themselves — were able to find suitable housing.

It seems that little has changed for many women. Last July the Housing Corporation invited the women of New Zealand to express their views on housing issues, make suggestions for change (if change was required), and provide topics for further research. Submissions were received from 171 groups and 173 individuals

throughout New Zealand — 32 submissions from Christchurch. Issues raised reveal that women still have problems with housing. “Women’s Views on Housing” was released this month.

Women face difficulties in the housing market because of their generally disadvantaged social position, and because housing policies unintentionally overlook their needs, it shows. Problems of access to housing after a marriage breakdown, and the obstacles faced by single women wanting to buy their own homes are two major issues raised. Of the 344 submissions, 169 are devoted in whole or in part to the problems of access to housing after

a marriage or live-in partnership ended. The greatest concern is re-housing prospects for women who are already property owners at that time.

Women are faced with either buying their partner’s share of the property, or selling the family home and buying another property with their share. The amount a woman receives from the sale of the family home is often not enough to allow the purchase of another home. One women’s group says: “The chief difficulty we encounter is where the family home is sold on

the breakdown of the marriage and the resulting capital is insufficient to allow the solo parent to obtain a mortgage on a new property.

“In addition, the first home has often been bought with a Housing Corporation mortgage, which makes the parent ineligible for another mortgage from that source.

“What typically happens in our experience is that the small amount of capital is spent on consumer goods, getting into private rental accommodation, and helping to meet that rent. It is never

available again to go towards a house purchase.” A submission from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs agrees: “Even though a woman may receive half the proceeds of the sale of the family home, this amount alone will not usually enable her to buy another home unless she can borrow.

“Women in this position often have no job, and no income either except for the D.P.8., until they get a paid job, which is likely to be paid at a low level and perhaps involve only parttime hours.

“Clearly, no woman living on a very low income, who has dependent children, can realistically contemplate taking out a new mortgage in the private finance market.”

Finding rental accommodation is in itself a problem for many women.

“There is a shortgage of affordable, good quality rental accommodation especially for people with children. This means that market rates for rental accommodation are beyond the means of many women, who tend to be clustered in low income groups,” says a submis-

sion from another women’s group. High rentals prevent women on low incomes from saving to buy a home, many of the 67 submissions mentioning rental housing maintain. One individual says: “Rents and bonds are very high, bonds'so high that by the time occupancy is taken, a tenant could have outlayed approximately $5OO just for the key. This is not appropriate for a low income and a single parent coming from a crisis situation.”

Single women are particularly disadvantaged because they have no dependents and are therefore not eligible for Housing Corporation rental. Single women are also described as being disadvantaged when aspiring to purchase a home. “I am unable to see why my single status should preclude me from owning my own home, and I feel this is an area which the corporation should explore,” insists one woman. Another submission: “I have accepted the conclusion that I will never have enough finance for a deposit on a home, and I will certainly never succumb to the concessions of wedlock and “Napisan” just to obtain the security of my own walls and ceiling.”