The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) is calling for better monitoring of housing stock, particularly private rentals, as new research reveals the share of affordable rentals has significantly decreased in most of our regions over the past five years.

Researcher Greg Waite has found significant declines in affordable rentals for low-income working families in 12 out of 16 regions between 2018 and 2023.

In particular, the following regions saw large declines in their share of affordable rental housing: Northland (-14%), Bay of Plenty (-11%), Gisborne (-14%), Northland (-14%), Bay of Plenty (-11%), Gisborne (-14%), Hawke’s Bay (-17%), Manawatu-Wanganui (22%), Marlborough (-13%) and Southland (-26%).

In contrast, the national trend saw a relatively consistent share of affordable one and two-bedroom rentals – the result of increased building in Auckland and Christchurch. That the national trend obfuscates significant changes in the regions, speaks to the need for closer monitoring of rental supply in New Zealand.

CPAG says the research highlights the need to increase public housing builds, especially in our under-served regions.