Support state housing now

Having a stable home is the foundation for a good life – it supports us to build connections with our neighbours, our local schools and sports clubs. It creates the conditions for us to be able to connect and contribute to our communities.

But successive governments have not done enough to make sure everyone has decent and suitable housing. They have prioritised legislation and policy that support property investor profits, forcing many people in our communities into unaffordable and insecure private rentals, and others into garages, cars and parks.

Now, the Coalition Government have stopped building nearly 3500 new state houses, are selling off state housing land, and making it less available to our communities. In some communities, there was never new state housing in the pipeline to begin with, despite people in every neighbourhood, town and city experiencing housing stress.

We know from our own history and from overseas, that when governments play a bigger role in building and providing suitable housing, we lay the foundation for thriving communities. We have built state housing at scale as a solution before, and we can do it again.

If we can show our local representatives that we support state housing in our communities by starting local campaigns, this will put pressure on the Government to keep building the state housing we need.

Start a local campaign for state housing, or check out a local campaign in your community to get involved with below. You don't need to have any experience to start a campaign! And you will have support to start slow. There are local state housing campaign groups being set up across the country, so get in touch if you would like to connect with others in your community: [email protected]

739
of 800
signatures
across 5 local campaigns
Start A Campaign
Find your local campaign
Your Location

Campaigns (5)

  • Save State Housing in Pōneke Wellington City
    Wellington City should be a place where everyone has a stable, healthy and suitable home whatever their income. A place where children can grow up together and where people can put down roots near the people and places they need to thrive. Housing affects every part of our lives. The stress of short tenancies, week-to-week emergency housing grants, and the looming threat of rental increases has a major impact on people’s wellbeing and working lives. Constant moving to find housing robs whānau of the opportunity to connect with their communities. State housing has and can provide stable, affordable homes for people on lower incomes - from the first ever state house built in Miramar, to the new state housing built in Pukeahu Mt Cook. We know from our own history and from overseas, that when governments play a bigger role in building and providing decent and suitable housing, we lay the foundation for thriving communities. Yet, despite the benefits, successive governments have not built enough homes to meet the growing need in our communities. In Pōneke Wellington: • There are 621 households on the housing register for Wellington City, 585 are considered Priority A (September 2025).[1] • There are 2,766 people in severe housing deprivation in Wellington City which forces people into unsafe and unstable living arrangements.[2] • State housing provider Kāinga Ora is selling sites making this land unavailable for future public housing[3] • And, the Government has cancelled projects and paused other projects, including the 300+ units at Arlington St, Mt Cook[4] There are 400 state homes which have been cancelled in Wellington City[5], including: • Evans Bay Pde, Kilbirnie, Wellington with 30 homes that were going to be Universal Design cancelled • Ngatiapa St, Tukanae St & Rahui St, Strathmore Park, Wellington with 41 homes cancelled • Nuku St, Strathmore Park, Wellington with 28 homes cancelled • Wayside, Miramar, Wellington with 1 home cancelled • Arlington St, Mt Cook with 300 homes, foundations in the ground is pending a decision Only 3 projects continue: • Miller Place, Lyall Bay with 28 homes is proceeding and due for completion in 2027 • Kekerenga St with 3 homes is due for completion in 2026 • Coromandel St, Newtown with 11 homes is due for completion 2026 While these essential public housing developments have been cancelled, the need for decent and secure housing has increased. Downtown Community Ministry recorded a 24% increase in rough sleeping for the first 3 months of 2025 compared to the same time in 2024.[6] Wellington is fortunate that the City Council is involved in housing through Te Toi Mahana, a Community Housing Provider (with 1764 homes) and through Te Kainga housing (370 homes), and with NGO community providers like Dwell (100 tenancies) and Wellington City Mission (70+ transitional units, and rest home and residential care). Despite this, it is still not enough to meet demand and these providers have limited access to funding to build more. The Government has the obligation and the ability to fund housing to meet the needs of all. We need the Government to build more public housing, but to also make the housing they build accessible and suitable for our communities. This means supporting different types of public housing, including using the Housing First approach, which is a proven best practice for supporting whānau who have experienced long-term homelessness and have other challenges, such as mental health and addication. It means housing first, and then wrap-around services for whānau after.[7] Te Ō in Mt Cook is an example of how this is working for Wellington City public housing, through a Single Site Supported Housing model.  If we leave house building to the market, we’ll keep building homes that are not accessible or suitable for our communities - with steps, narrow doorways, and bathrooms that don’t work for many. Through publically-funded housing we can support designs that work for your niece with cerebral palsy, your friend recovering from a stroke, your pregnant sister, your colleague with a broken leg, or your granddad who now uses a walking frame.  Currently, only 4% of our public housing has universal design that are suitable for a wide variety of people, while the housing register has around 19% of people in households who need accessible housing. Kāinga Ora were making commitments to building more accessible homes including the 30 universally designed homes on Evans Bay Pde that have now been cancelled. We ask the House of Representatives and Minister of Housing retain existing housing sites, keep building the promised state houses and to increase public builds at a scale that will ensure stable, permanently affordable and accessible housing for everyone who needs it. References: 1. Housing Register, MSD September 2025 2. Aotearoa Data Explorer, Severe Housing Deprivation Census 2023 Stats NZ  3. Property Sales, Kāinga Ora, 2026 4. Kāinga Ora slashes social housing in Wellington. The Post, 19 June 2025 5. Data from a spreadsheet available in this Information sheet: Project assessments and write downs, Kāinga Ora, June 2025 6. Homelessness Insights Report. Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. June 2025  7. Read more about how Housing First works with public housing in Finland here and in Aotearoa here. Pōneke Public Housing Futures is a group of everyday people in Wellington who believe secure, suitable housing is a fundamental right that must be available to everyone with a need. We are concerned that not enough public housing is being built to meet the needs of all in Wellington. Stable affordable housing is the first step needed for everyone to thrive. Currently in New Zealand only 4% of all housing is state or community housing, this is significantly lower than many other countries. We want to see a large increase so that everyone who wants a public or state house can be housed without spending months on a waiting list. 
    18 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Pōneke Public Housing Futures
  • Lower Hutt
    For a Hutt Valley where everyone has a home
    A stable, decent home is important for a good life. It supports our safety, our health, and ability to participate in society. It helps us build community connections through our neighbours, local schools, sports, and cultural clubs. It allows us to put down roots and have a sense of belonging.  But successive governments have not done enough to make sure everyone has decent and suitable housing. They have prioritised legislation and policy that helps property investors make profits, while reducing Government’s income. They have underfunded the construction of public housing, meaning there is not enough to meet the need.  This has forced many people, including people in the Hutt Valley, into severe housing need, living in unsafe, unhealthy, and insecure living situations. We have people in our community experiencing hardship because of the price of rental properties, people living in substandard and overcrowded houses or in garages, cars, or parks. The emotional and financial stress due to housing insecurity are added pressures for families and individuals who are among the most vulnerable in our community. To get onto the public housing register (waitlist), you must be in severe housing need. We have hundreds of whānau/households on the public housing waitlist for the Hutt Valley - 684 as at October 2025[1]. But it is clear that there is not enough public housing available for them.  People are often experiencing long times on the waitlist [2], and only 218 new Kāinga Ora homes are in the pipeline for the Hutt Valley [3], while 56 Kāinga Ora homes are being put up for sale [4]. And under the Government’s Housing Investment Plan [5], no money has been earmarked for further new Kāinga Ora homes in the area. The Government has indicated that it is looking to the private market to solve the problem of unaffordable housing and housing insecurity [6]. This is unlikely to help the people on the public housing waitlist who need housing now, or to solve the ongoing issue of severe housing deprivation in our community [7].   Together we can change this.  If we make public housing a priority, we can ensure that no one in our community has to experience housing deprivation and that everyone has stable, decent, appropriate housing where they can build a good life for themselves and their families. Let’s tell our local politicians that Hutt Valley people see this as an important issue for the 2026 General Election. Let’s tell our politicians that we want a commitment from them to give Kāinga Ora the direction and the resources that will enable it to get people off the waitlist and into housing, and meet community need for housing in an ongoing way. You can send this message to our local politicians by signing the petition.  Find out more about the nationwide Public Housing Futures Campaign at: www.publichousingfutures.com   Contact the Hutt Valley Public Housing Futures group at: [email protected] [1]  572 for Lower Hutt, 112 for Upper Hutt. Source: Ministry of Housing and Urban Development [2]  The average national wait time for people on the public housing register, from their application being accepted to that tenancy being activated was 165 days (5 months) as at October 2025. Source: Housing and Urban Development  [3]  As at April 2025, houses are either in construction or proceeding to a detailed business case. Source: Kainga Ora [4]  55 for Lower Hutt, 1 for Upper Hutt. Source: Kainga Ora [5]  Housing Investment Plan 2025. [6]   Kainga Ora Strategy 2025 – 2035, Housing minister Chris Bishop reveals new Kāinga Ora strategy | 4 February 2025 | RNZ, Housing reform in NSW and New Zealand, Chris Minns, Chris Bishop, & Peter Tulip [7] RNZ, ‘Government wants to 'flood the market' to make houses more affordable - how will that work?’, 5 July 2024.  The Conversation, The billions spent on NZ’s accommodation supplement is failing to make rent affordable – so what will?, 24 April 2025. University of Auckland, The flaws in NZ's accommodation supplement, 9 May 2024. 
    3 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Public Housing Futures Hutt Valley
  • Christchurch
    Save our State Housing in Ōtautahi/ Reverse the cuts
    Everyone in Aotearoa deserves to be housed; this is a basic human right. People should have agency over their housing, and it should be designed to be fully accessible. This would strengthen communities in Ōtautahi, as people will be able to put down roots and build connection. It will support our whānau to thrive, and provide the stability needed for a thriving city where everyone can live a decent life. Successive governments have failed to ensure everyone in our community has suitable housing or any housing at all. Now, the National-led Government has cancelled Kāinga Ora developments, plan to sell off state housing and make it less available to our communities. This will lead to more people living in unaffordable and unsuitable private rentals, in their cars and on the streets. It also means that state-owned land will be privatised that should otherwise be returned to hapū and iwi for Māori housing solutions. In Ōtautahi we have: - 1500+ households on the Housing Register  - 6753+ people experiencing Severe Housing Deprivation (homelessness) *Census 2023 (grown since data was collected) And still, this National-led government has decided to cancel 25 developments, 373 homes that were in the pipeline, that would've housed whānau in need in Ōtautahi. They are also selling state homes to the private market The Government says it is supporting Community Housing Providers (CHPs) to play a bigger role in social housing provision, yet it expects to fund only 70 new CHP homes in Ōtautahi by 2027, and only four have been delivered so far. We know from our own history and from overseas research, that when governments play a bigger role in providing decent and suitable housing, we as a country lay the foundation for thriving communities. We have built state housing at scale as a solution before, and we can do it again. The people of Ōtautahi who are living without shelter or safe and affordable homes need our community to stand in solidarity to save our state housing. We need all 373 Kaianga Ora houses to be built. We are calling on Minister for Housing, Chris Bishop; Minister for Māori Development, Tama Potaka; MP for Ilam, Hamish Campbell; MP for Christchurch Central, Duncan Webb; MP for Christchurch East, Reuben Davidson; MP for Banks Peninsula, Vanessa Weenink; MP for Wigram, Megan Woods to advocate for the people of our communities to ensure that everyone has a decent, stable and accessible home, and to stop the sell off.
    39 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Save Our State Housing Ōtautahi
  • Support state housing in West Auckland
    West Auckland should be a place where everyone has a decent, healthy, stable and suitable home, in a community where children can grow up in their local schools and where people can put down roots near the services they need to thrive.   But right now, people in our community are experiencing high rents, homelessness, overcrowding and substandard housing. This is having an impact on people's long-term wellbeing and the wellbeing of our communities.  Successive governments have not done enough to make sure everyone in our community has suitable housing. Now, the current Coalition Government has cancelled hundreds of Kāinga Ora homes, is selling off state housing and making it less available to people in our community.  In the West Auckland area we have: • 1,224 households on the Housing Register in (September 2025) • 7,524 people experiencing Severe Housing Deprivation (homelessness) at the time of Census 2023. This is likely to have grown since the Emergency Housing rules have put up barriers to access temporary shelter. • And still, the Government has decided to cancel 12 Kāinga Ora developments that would have provided 425 decent and stable homes to people in our communities. • Some of these cancelled developments are on land that once had state housing and families living there, forced out on the promise of more homes and a right to return back to their communities. Some of these cancelled developments are on land Kāinga Ora purchased to make way for much needed homes close to train stations, parks and local amenities. State housing is a key solution to the housing crisis facing people living in West Auckland. It is the key way governments ensure people and whānau, no matter their income, age or stage in life, have a place to call home. By cancelling state housing, more people and families will be forced into unaffordable private rentals, unsuitable boarding houses and onto the streets. It also means that land will be privatised that could otherwise be returned to hapū and iwi for Māori housing solutions. We are calling on our local MPs to advocate for state housing in our community - to stop state housing land being sold off to investors and developers, and to ensure everyone in West Auckland has decent and stable housing.  Cancelled Kāinga Ora developments: • Beauchamp Dr & Reverie Pl, Massey - 65 homes  • Totara Ave, New Lynn - 84 homes  • Elm St & Racecourse Parade, Avondale - 139 homes • Vallance Pl, Massey - 13 homes  • Cedar Heights Ave, Massey - 8 homes  • Tabitha Cres, Henderson - 4 homes  • Sachel Pl, Rānui - 3 homes (sold) • MacKenzie St, Te Atatū South - 3 homes  • Te Atatū Rd - 3 homes  • Valonia St, New Windsor - 3 homes  • Ulster St, Blockhouse Bay - 32 homes  • Marlowe Rd & Bolton St - 68 homes
    151 of 200 Signatures
    Created by State Housing Action West Auckland
  • Keep building state housing in Tai Tokerau
    Everyone in our community deserves to be housed. People should have agency over their housing, and it should be designed to be fully accessible and based on how people want to live. This would strengthen our communities, make life easier for whānau and provide the stability needed for a thriving city. But successive governments have not done enough to make sure everyone in our community has a suitable housing. Now, the National-led Government plan to sell off state housing and make it less available to our communities. This will lead to more people living in unaffordable and unsuitable private rentals, in their cars and on the streets. It also means that state-owned land will be privatised that should otherwise be returned to hapū and iwi for Māori housing solutions. In Tai Tokerau we have:  - 1000+ households on the Housing Register  - 5856+ people experiencing Severe Housing Deprivation (homelessness) *Census 2023 (grown since data was collected) - Kāinga Ora is selling 59 homes to the private market - And still, this National government has decided to cancel 40 developments, 450 homes that were in the pipeline, that would've housed whānau in need in Tai Tokerau[1] We know from our own history and from overseas, that when governments play a bigger role in building and providing decent and suitable housing, we lay the foundation for thriving communities. We have built state housing at scale as a solution before, and we can do it again. We are calling on Minister for Housing, Chris Bishop; Minister for Māori Development, Tama Potaka; MP for Whangārei, Shane Reti; and MP for Northland, Grant McCallum to advocate for the people of our communities to ensure that everyone has a decent, stable and accessible home, and to stop the sell off. References: 1. Critical housing shortage: Kāinga Ora axes 40 new Northland projects. Northern Advocate, 12 July 2025
    445 of 500 Signatures
    Created by State Housing Action Whangārei