976512263
News

Better conditions for tenants could help housing 'crisis': Eaqub

Friday 18th of July 2014

It has released a new working paper on home affordability, which says rising unaffordability cannot be fixed by a single solution such as changing immigration policy or urban planning rules, or imposing a capital gains tax.

Principal economist Shamubeel Eaqub said: ““It’s not just Chinese investors, it’s not just a lack of an effective capital gains tax, it’s not just councils’ planning rules, or cheap credit. With that many variables in the mix, the solutions will be complex and perhaps the most effective measures could come from unexpected corners, like rental market reform.”

He said renting was not seen as a long-term option for many people. But he said if tenants were offered better security of tenure and could treat the property like their own home, some might be willing to forgo home ownership.

The NZIER report said New Zealanders’ desire for home ownership was one of the reasons it took the country years to recover after the global financial crisis. “Our reliance on future capital gains to pay for debt-funded spending caused a long hangover when households realised they needed to pay off the mortgage.”

Want to read the full article?

Click the button below to subscribe and will have free unlimited access for a limited time to full article and all other articles on the site.

You will also be able to comment on articles on Good Returns.