The New Zealand Nurses Organisation supports the findings of the Productivity Commission’s Housing Affordability report that was released today. The report concludes that home ownership is now beyond the reach of increasing numbers of New Zealanders. The report says that more new and affordable houses must be built.

NZNO's primary focus is on the impact of housing on health, and, in Aotearoa New Zealand, it is a key factor in sustaining significant health inequalities.

NZNO CEO, Geoff Annals says, “Affordability of housing is not something that can be considered in isolation or in the same sense as the affordability of any other commodity, because housing tenure and quality is inextricably linked to health. Health determines the capacity and timeframe of workforce participation, and is thus a fundamental factor of productivity as well as health and wellbeing.”

“We are pleased to see the recommendation that Government spend more on housing programmes. Without integrated housing and social services inequality, including health inequities will continue to grow in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Rented housing is associated with lower incomes and poorer health, while poor quality housing is a key contributor to health inequalities. There is abundant national and international evidence linking poor quality housing with asthma and other respiratory diseases, and serious communicable diseases such as meningitis. Aotearoa New Zealand's unprecedented levels of rheumatic fever, particularly for Māori and Pacific peoples, are just one indication of the overcrowded, cold and unsanitary conditions that many families are living in.

“We hope the Government will take the reports’ recommendations seriously and address the issues of housing affordability within the next three years,” Annals says.

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