Addressing New Zealand's Housing Crisis through Alternative Housing Solutions

New Zealand has been experiencing a rather surprising housing market boom over the past few years. While initial predictions were that the Covid-19 pandemic would severely hinder sales and rentals, the opposite has been true – with many first-time buyers entering the market, sales prices soaring, and the rental market steadily improving.  However, these advances bely the reality that the country is in the midst of a housing crisis. Many average New Zealanders cannot afford to buy homes – especially in cities like Auckland and Wellington – and decreasing land space is also of concern.  These issues have led to many seeking alternative housing solutions. For example, subletting or joint-home purchases, where a number of people club together to afford and live in a single dwelling is on the rise. Similarly, the tiny house movement has exploded across New Zealand, with manufacturers of tiny homes reporting a 50% increase in requests in 2021. There is also a significant rise in investments in <a href="https://www.ablespaces.co.nz/liveable-spaces/transportable-homes-auckland/">transportable homes</a>. This particular housing option means that there’s a lot lower outlay for building a new home, since the home is manufactured off-site, but resale value is essentially the same as traditionally built homes.  Aside from being more cost-effective and eco-friendly, both these latter two alternatives also offer faster turnaround build times. This means that it’s possible to house more people in a shorter amount of time than what can practically occur with traditional builds. The flexibility of both transportable and tiny homes also means that more people can live in well-functioning and safe homes without taking up a lot of room in the country’s already limited space. By re-envisioning what a ‘home’ can and should look like and embracing alternative solutions, it may be possible for New Zealand to come through the current housing crisis stronger than before it hit.