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.