Housing Advocates Condemn NZInitiative Report Calling For Asset Sales And Landlord Subsidies

Friday, 17 October 2025, 11:25 am
Press Release: ActionStation

The right-wing think tank NZInitiative released their report yesterday calling on the Government to sell off state housing and instead move to a voucher system for the private rental market.

“Selling state housing harms everyone in our communities. It’s not only an asset sale of a resource collectively held by all of us, which we know is deeply unpopular and is short-term thinking, but it gets rid of one of the only permanently stable and permanently affordable housing our communities have,” says Vanessa Cole, spokesperson for Public Housing Futures.

“The private rental market is not suitable, and has consistently failed to provide decent and stable homes to people and families. Landlords and investors prioritise profit over ensuring homes are maintained and healthy. If this idea were to be considered, there is a real risk that rents will be driven up in our neighbourhoods as investors capitalise on government-backed subsidies,” says Cole.

“If the NZInitiatives ideas are accepted the impact will be that more of our people who desperately need housing, our young people, our whānau, disabled people, those who have suffered significant trauma and are mentally and physically unwell, will continue to face discrimination from the private sector and increased homelessness will be the result.

“A strong public housing system is essential if we are going to end homelessness in Aotearoa. At a moment where homelessness is escalating across the country this is not the time to further undermine and tear apart this system,” says Aaron Hendry, co-founder of Kick Back Youth Development organisation responding to Youth Homelessness.

“This report comes at a time where the current Coalition Government has already announced the cancellation of hundreds of Kāinga Ora developments, and are selling state housing in neighbourhoods across the country in the midst of a housing crisis impacting more and more people and families.

“The stalling and then cancellation of Kāinga Ora builds has had a major impact on construction sector jobs. By removing state housing from public ownership - it means less jobs for our builders, electricians, plumbers and maintenance workers," says Cole.

“Now is the time that we need to be building state housing at scale. Building more state homes for people who need to pay lower rent will make our neighbourhood a better place for all of us. It will keep families together and enable people to put down roots and contribute to the community."

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