January 31st 2018
We live in a country that is obsessed with home ownership.The
housing policies
of most political parties is still driven by the assumption that home ownership is the choice for everyone who can afford it.
But what is home ownership meant to provide that other types of housing cannot? A recent survey by The University of Birmingham [ England ] found that social renters were less likely to be as anxious than home owners,after considering factors such as poor health,low incomes and the stress of bringing up a family.But living in social housing played a positive role in helping tenants deal with stresses and provided emotional as well as financial security.In fact most tenants felt that they were not missing out on the dream of home ownership with all its strains and stresses of financial struggles to keep their home.
Making more homes available for social renters is a financial and political challenge for the government,but is the right choice as home ownership has slipped away for many,at least a generation or two.
The present government has the opportunity to transform the rental housing market from the destruction of social housing by the previous government,let all New Zealanders support them on this transformation,it is in everyone's best interest.
