Office of Seniors - Barriers to Housing Advisory

Advice on the barriers to alternative housing choices for older people 

The older population of New Zealand are faced with growing stresses related to ensuring they have a safe, warm, dry, secure home that is close to essential services and facilities, and enables them to maintain vital social connections to their community.

TUA provided advice for the Office of Seniors about the existing barriers in New Zealand that are impeding the delivery of innovative and affordable housing projects that would improve the diversity of housing options available to older people. The advice set out why such projects are challenging to get off the ground and even more challenging to replicate, including at scale.

The models explored included; co-operatives, cohousing, Community Land Trusts, kaumātua housing, and build-to-rent. These types of housing models respond to the needs identified in our older populations, including offering affordability, social connections and community cohesion, ageing in place, and high quality design. TUA outlined the key barriers that we see facing these housing models in New Zealand and proposed some solutions that could be considered.