The housing continuum

The Auckland Plan 2050 has a strong focus on ensuring that Aucklanders have security of tenure, as renting is becoming a long-term, possibly permanent, reality for many households. Not every Aucklander may be able to, or will choose to, own their own home.

The diagram below shows the continuum, or range, of housing tenure models from emergency housing through to private home ownership.

It helps us understand the levels of housing assistance that different households may need.

The diagram also shows the importance of using a combination of central and local government policy levers to deliver optimal housing outcomes, for example:

• ending homelessness
• delivering mixed tenure housing.

Emergency housing

Emergency housing is temporary and includes overnight accommodation and short term stays of around 12 weeks. This type of housing responds to an urgent and immediate need for accommodation. The affected household either has nowhere else to go or is unable to remain in its usual residence. This type of accommodation requires high levels of subsidy.

Social housing

Social housing is subsidised rental accommodation. It is usually funded by the Income Related Rent Subsidy and provided by the government or community housing providers, with support services as needed.

Assisted rental housing

Assisted rental housing is rental housing usually made available below market rent levels and usually part funded by the government through the accommodation supplement. Assisted ownership includes schemes which provide household income-related pathways to home ownership such as rent to buy, affordable equity and shared ownership. Schemes are typically provided by community housing providers with criteria-based eligibility. The role of assisted home ownership has increased recently and this is likely to continue.

Private ownership and private rental

Private ownership and private rental are tenures under the free market with affordability determined by market conditions. Some eligible households may be able to access an accommodation supplement from the government to lower the burden of housing costs.