Auckland must make a significant change in its ability to meet housing demand. Our population is forecast to increase significantly and our housing needs will continue to change.
Auckland will require significantly more dwellings to be built by 2050. These will need to be a broader mix of housing types, including different sizes and price points.
We need to build more intensive housing, including apartments and townhouses, for individuals and large families alike. These will reflect our differing and changing lifestyles and housing needs.
Other examples could include:
- intergenerational housing
- papakāinga-style housing
- communal housing
- co-housing.
In the past five years, we have seen a marked shift in the type of housing being built in Auckland.
There has been a positive take-up of terraced housing and apartments close to transport corridors and nodes. These outnumber new stand-alone houses which have dominated in the past.
The introduction of the
National Policy Statement on Urban Development and the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act will further enable more medium-density housing, such as apartments and townhouses.
Not only do we need more houses to be built, but we must also ensure that what is built is affordable. This is particularly important given that much of what is currently built is at the higher-priced end of the market and not affordable for many residents. This includes homes and developments that are accessible for older people and people with disabilities.
