New Zealand’s housing crisis is exacting a high toll on health and wellbeing in Aotearoa, including for older New Zealanders.
We support the multi-decade outlook and the proposed vision of the GPS-HUD: “Everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand lives in a healthy, secure and affordable home that meets their needs, within a thriving, inclusive and sustainable community.”
We wish to highlight to the Ministry of Housing and Urban development the right of older New Zealanders to an affordable, dry, warm, secure home.
A growing number of 65 year olds are still paying off a mortgage and an increasing number are older renters. Within thirteen years it is estimated that one quarter of New Zealand’s population will be aged 65 and above and more than half of those turning 65 will be renters. To illustrate this further, 97,000 renters in 2018 were aged 65 and above.
Māori and Pacific older people are much more likely to be renting than Pākehā; this perpetuates intergenerational disadvantage. It is a concern that most older renters are dependent on the private rental market; they struggle to survive, let alone pay dental bills, medical costs, buy food and pay other bills.