Should an average household income be enough to buy an average-priced home?
In June and July 2017 Scoop ran an open conversation on housing affordability in New Zealand, and 381 people voted. One of its statements was this question, put as a claim.
A public Polis conversation on affordable housing in Aotearoa New Zealand
From a public Polis conversation in Aotearoa New Zealand, June 2017 to July 2017: “ScoopNZ Hivemind on affordable housing”. People wrote statements and voted agree, disagree or pass on each other’s. These rows are the statements most voters agreed with, the ones that split voters most evenly, and the ones the fewest agreed with, out of 101 that at least 15 people voted on. Statements about the voters themselves, insults and unchecked factual claims are left out. Passes are not counted.
Most agreed
An average household income should be enough to buy an average-priced house.
Current policy initiatives, such as tighter rules for property investors and measures to increase the supply of land for development, are sufficient to address housing affordability.
Polis sorts voters into opinion groups by how they voted across the whole conversation. This one found 2: Group A (347 voters) and Group B (34 voters). These are the statements every group was most likely to agree with, ranked the way Polis ranks common ground: the chance of agreeing in each group, multiplied together. Under them is the statement the groups were furthest apart on.
Firstly, recognise that universal access to healthy, affordable housing (owned or rented) should be a goal of any political party or NZ govt
Group A59 agreed, 0 disagreed (100%)
Group B8 agreed, 0 disagreed (100%)
It is important that focusing on lowering costs (e.g. materials) doesn't make us lose sight of housing quality.
Group A98 agreed, 4 disagreed (96%)
Group B16 agreed, 0 disagreed (100%)
Current Government initiatives are inadequate to meet the housing needs of New Zealand's poorest families.
Group A43 agreed, 3 disagreed (93%)
Group B6 agreed, 0 disagreed (100%)
Where they split
Bring back State Advances and fair interest loans.
Written for the hearth so this question has a whole card on each side to argue with. No visitor wrote them, so the two parts only a person can fill are empty: what happened to you, and who on the other side called the case against fair.
Yes
Where this card stands
Yes. If a full-time average income can’t buy an average home, housing has become an investment first and a place to live second, and policy should aim to change that.
How sure, before and after the case against
The strongest case against it
Bringing prices back in line with incomes means prices falling, which wipes out the savings of most current owners, including the many who stretched to buy.
What would change this card’s mind
If the only way to reach it in practice was a crash that left recent buyers owing more than their homes were worth.
“Argue with this card” opens the card on the front page with this card’s position as the case against you. You write where you stand and what would change your mind.