Story summary
Early settlers’ housing
Early European settlers were housed in government-owned barracks – huts or other buildings – when they first arrived in the country. The government gave town councils some powers related to housing, for example to prevent overcrowding.
Worker’s dwellings
A lack of good-quality and affordable housing led Premier Richard Seddon’s Liberal government to build houses to rent to workers from 1906. However, this scheme was not very successful, and the Reform Party government which followed sold the houses.
State housing
In the late 1930s a new Labour government began to build state houses. As well as providing housing for families, it aimed to give work to builders and manufacturers. In the 1940s whole suburbs of state houses were built, such as Naenae in Lower Hutt and Ōtara in Auckland. Later, some state houses were sold, often to their tenants.
Support for private housing
Some governments thought it was important for people to own their own homes. From the 1920s, but especially from the 1950s, there were various schemes to help people buy their own homes. Until the 1980s the government loaned home buyers money, usually at a low interest rate. New Zealand had a very high rate of people who owned their own home, compared to other similar countries.
Council-owned housing
Many city councils built houses and flats, which they rented out mainly to elderly or single people.
21st century
In the 2000s the government continued to provide state housing and had several schemes to help people buy their own home. The government also set standards for housing quality.