The tassel was worth the hassle: A masters in Wairarapa's housing (un)affordability
At the beginning of the year, I embarked on the final stretch of my Masters. Tasked with a full year research report and the opportunity to explore any topic I so desired was easier said than done. With the plethora of planning problems we face today it was difficult to narrow down what I wanted to spend the next 10 months studying. When I reflected on what issues impact me, my community, and pull on my heart strings, it was clear that housing affordability in Wairarapa was the way to go.
The past few years has highlighted the decades of systemic neglect resulting in Aotearoa New Zealand’s long stated housing crisis. Tackling this crisis has become a central focus for successive governments with resources, research, and policy focused on our urban centres and areas of highest need. However, often overlooked are the rippling effects of city-based affordability issues on neighbouring suburban and rural areas. Here in the Wairarapa, we have a unique situation in that we have three small District Councils operating under the Wairarapa Combined District Plan (WCDP) as well as no state housing presence (perhaps this is soon to change?). This landscape invites inquiry into Wairarapa specific data around housing affordability as without sub-regional and district data the true realities of this national crisis cannot be fully comprehended. And so, to establish an understanding of where we are and where we need to go, my research asked the question: what are the barriers and opportunities to affordable housing in the Wairarapa region?
With only 10,000 words it was an ambitious question to answer. I followed the data presented to me and to my surprise discovered far deeper social and cultural influences than I had anticipated. Let me share with you my key finding.
Values fuelling the fire
The cultural value placed on homeownership in New Zealand is considerable and enduring. Housing is understood and believed by many New Zealanders to bring a sense of security through both long-term shelter and financial gain. In the past, New Zealand’s housing market has been reliable for returning a profit, due to growing population, the demand on limited housing stock, and rising land values, all of which inflate house prices. Notably, more than half of all New Zealand household wealth is in housing and land. This obsession with homeownership may no longer be driven by ‘the quarter-acre pavlova paradise’ but instead has become a part of the very fabric of our nation’s political and economic systems and our shared realities.
Central government has continually encouraged homeownership through various policies as it firmly underpins the nation’s economy. For decades, economic growth has been based on housing investment and over-accumulation in the housing market. This cyclical process of feeding ‘the kiwi dream’ has attracted more people and capital to the nation’s housing market whilst also adding to rising house prices. Aotearoa New Zealand is a capitalist economy and naturally the pursuit of profit has become ingrained in our national psyche. Building a home involves the participation of various individuals, companies, and institutions, across different sections, each driven by the realities of making money. Unsurprisingly, all this pursuit for a profit drives house prices up further.
Alongside the obsession and economic realities of homeownership are the cultural ideals of what a home should look like. Wairarapa’s housing market is flooded with the traditional single-storey family home with generous gardens or ‘the quarter acre dream’. The values discussed have materialised in the towns we see today as well as the regulatory tools and decision-making that permits such developments. This style of home continues to dominate all new builds in Wairarapa as they are more profitable for developers and homebuilders and are part of the enduring vision of what a home is. The limited variety of housing types sustains the character and amenity of an area but also facilitates the view that townhouses, duplexes, and medium-density housing are substandard. These values have embedded themselves at all levels of society and ultimately restrict the number and types of homes needed, community openness to alternative developments, and fundamentally limits possibilities for innovation and affordability.
From here grows a disconnect between seeing a home and shelter as a basic human right to seeing the homes as a mechanism for profit.
The importance of a diverse housing landscape
Wairarapa faces a shortage of homes of every typology. The region has a small housing stock which is characteristic of housing development over the past few decades. Traditional development has largely been based on the nuclear family concept contributing enormously to the housing landscape in Wairarapa today.
Medium-density housing and homes below 3-bedroom are widely seen as second-rate to the traditional quarter-acre sections. However, Wairarapa households are no longer configured as they traditionally were with lifestyle and relationship changes, and awareness of cultural factors, contributing to this shift. The Wairarapa has an aging population and household sizes are below the national average, at approximately 2.3 people compared to 2.6. These trends further exacerbate the housing shortage and unaffordable reality as there are little to no small residential living options. Wairarapa’s limited diversity in housing options no longer supports the types of households and lifestyles that make up the Wairarapa community. To better inform decision-making and future development, it is important to recognise the changing composition of households and understand the demographics of the area.
From the barrier of a lack of diversity in housing types, comes a realistic opportunity to build different types of homes suitable for the needs of the Wairarapa community. With the knowledge of the Wairarapa’s shifting demographic in mind, provisions for a range of housing sizes, particularly smaller homes, townhouses, and units, for example, can be made where appropriate.
The enabling role of Council
Currently, the WCDP does not adequately represent or aid the community it serves. Density limits and opportunities for alternative forms of housing are restrictive and no longer provide for the housing needs of the local community. The District Plan is an opportunity for Councils to use in a way that aligns with their community’s needs and organisational priorities, whilst enabling the right kinds of development. The Wairarapa is growing and with this growth comes the need to consider the careful balance between demand for, and supply of, housing for current and future residents. The current pressures of housing costs, be that mortgage or rental payments, indicate the opportunity for local authorities to use the tools available to them to better enable housing affordability. The WCDP is in the review process and it is an opportune time for the three councils to remove some of the regulatory barriers, such as by updating residential zoning and density standards. This regulatory tool and the Council’s implementing it can play a significant role in the field of affordable housing development. Such changes can begin to reshape the widely shared dislike toward urban density and contribute to increased affordability of housing in Wairarapa.
Finally
The research exposed the intricacies of the barriers and opportunities to achieve greater affordability in Wairarapa. The central finding was how the influence of deeply-rooted social values has contributed in a multitude of ways to the current crisis and has disconnected many from seeing the home as a basic human necessity to a commodity. Ultimately, there is a need for shared understanding and active engagement across the housing spectrum to stimulate innovation. Community Housing Providers, developers, service providers, central and local government, and architects, all have a role to play to deliver good housing with the end user in mind. Only then, may we begin to see a shift in our social and cultural values placed on a home towards ones that deliver affordable housing options.
And that was my picture
My research just scratches the surface of this growing issue however I am chuffed to have had the opportunity to contribute to the discussion. So finally, after two and a half years of study, I have completed (and, better yet, passed!) my Masters in Resource and Environmental Planning and am looking forward to a much needed brain-break. A big thanks must go out to my incredibly patient and supportive colleagues at Planalytics - Toni and Tiff, you’re just awesome!
