“It’s going to take it many decades to get on top of the housing crisis”
Aucklanders are struggling to afford rent, with some ending up sharing rooms with five other adults or sharing beds with flatmates to cut costs – and an expert has warned that the situation could get worse this year.
A small apartment for rent for $360 per week, for example, was expected to be suitable for up to two people but was later found to be too small even for only one person. Some low-wage workers resort to hot bedding, wherein a bed is shared by two people who work on different shifts.
Economist Shamubeel Eaqub predicts that young people would be living in even more cramped space as housing costs continue to rise in proportion to incomes.
“It's not going to get better anytime soon. We're still not building enough houses. It's going to take it many decades to get on top of the housing crisis,” Eaqub said.
Read more: Rents and values in Hawke's Bay continue to rise
Trade Me Property revealed that the weekly rent in Auckland in November 2019 was $560, while latest data from Statistics New Zealand found that the median weekly income was $1,019.
Philippa Howden-Chapman, director of New Zealand Centre of Sustainable Cities, commented that “there’s not a simple solution” to solving the housing crisis.
James Crow, founder of advocacy group Gimme Shelter Aotearoa, said that living in apartments where tenants shared beds worked for some people, but those with health or social issues could be “preyed upon” by landlords.
“It's a problem that I don't think we should be seeing people trying to solve this way but it's a reality,” Crow said. “Until we have enough suitable affordable housing in Auckland we're going to see more of these, let's be honest, innovative ideas where people are trying to solve it the best they can.”
