The Green Party is launching its Reasonable Rents campaign to start a national conversation about the high cost of rents for the more than 1.4 million Kiwis who live in a rental home.

“We all deserve a warm, affordable and accessible place to call home. Whether renting or trying to buy, a home is a human right,” says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson.

“In Aotearoa, more than 1.4 million people rent, and the cost of renting is becoming more and more unaffordable as rents continue to rise much faster than incomes.

“Right now, 43.78% of households that rent in Aotearoa spend more than 30% of their household income on rent, and 26.5% of renting households spend over 40%.

“When rents become unaffordable, people have less to go towards other essentials, such as healthy food and heating in winter. Unaffordable rent can force families to move often in search of a more affordable home, unsettling community connections and children’s education.

“Unaffordable rent is a major cause of poverty in Aotearoa – it uproots communities, fuels inequality, and affects our whole society.

“Aotearoa is unusual compared to many other countries, that have effective rules to help keep rents reasonable, so that is why the Greens are starting the conversation today.

“We have launched an online discussion document to bring all New Zealanders into the conversation about how we can make rents more reasonable, and ensure that everyone in Aotearoa has a warm, dry and affordable place to call home.”

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