Housing | Kāinga
Housing is at the heart of wellbeing—it is a fundamental human right. Under the United Nations framework on the Right to Adequate Housing, every person is entitled to a home that is secure, warm, dry, and affordable; a foundation from which health, dignity, and opportunity flow. In the Waikato, this principle is not abstract—it is central to regional wellbeing.
Housing costs that significantly outpace local incomes are now a primary driver of financial stress, inequality, and reduced life outcomes, with median house prices sitting at more than six times household income—well beyond internationally accepted affordability benchmarks. By comparison, the widely used Demographia standard defines genuinely affordable housing as costing no more than three to five times annual household income; anything beyond this signals structural dysfunction in the housing system.
Wellbeing Waikato, building on the legacy of the Waikato Wellbeing Project, has taken a deliberately rigorous and system-level approach to this challenge—using high-quality regional data to expose the true scale and drivers of unaffordability, while connecting housing outcomes to wider measures of wellbeing such as food security, health, and economic mobility. Since 2021, we have partnered with the Waikato Housing Initiative to ensure high quality data on the housing system and its capacity for more affordable housing is available to everybody.
Crucially, this work does not accept the status quo. Instead, it seeks to redefine what “affordable” really means in practice—moving beyond incremental improvements or unrealistic definitions of “affordable” to focus on the structural changes required to realign house prices with incomes, and to identify commercially viable, scalable pathways that can deliver genuinely affordable homes across the Waikato.
On this page you will find:
Our latest reports with idea on how to advance greater housing affordability, developed in partnership with Veros Limited and FutureProof
Our 2025 report in the state of housing affordability in the Waikato region- “Hiding in Plain Sight”, along with a link to a webinar held in early 2026
A link to the Waikato Housing Initiative Website
A link to the 2024 Waikato Housing Stocktake, fully funded by the Waikato Wellbeing Project
A link to the Waikato Housing Data Lake/Dashboard, also fully funded by the Waikato Wellbeing Project.
Webinar: What Would it Take for Housing to be Affordable in the Waikato?
Join us as we unpack the data, challenge assumptions, and explore practical pathways to improving housing affordability in the Waikato. This session is designed for policymakers, developers, planners, funders, and anyone working on housing, infrastructure, or regional wellbeing.
Harvey will be joined by Veros' Managing Director Morgan Jones and Senior Property Advisor Paul Spurdle.
Housing Affordability in the Waikato
The Waikato Wellbeing Project’s vision is that our mokopuna are thriving. But today, housing affordability poses a major challenge to that future.
Our latest report reveals that while the Waikato has long been a place where families could build better lives, rising house prices and stagnant incomes are stretching households to breaking point.
With a price-to-income ratio of 6.4:1, saving for a deposit now takes on average 13 years - and could blow out to 28 years within two decades if nothing changes.
This report lays out the data behind the crisis and highlights why collective action is urgently needed to ensure housing in the Waikato is affordable, equitable, and sustainable for generations to come.
The Waikato Regional Housing Initiative (WRHI) has established itself as a national best practice example of a collaborative approach to this challenge and is working across the housing sector to increase the pipeline of affordable homes in the Waikato.
One of the major priorities of the WRHI has been to provide everybody with better access to up-to-date information on the performance of the housing system, so that better and more timely decisions can be made to ensure that the right housing products are brought online, where, when and for whom they are needed.
Waikato Housing Initiative 2023 Housing Stocktake Update
In 2018 the Initiative first produced a housing stocktake that has been referenced at all levels of government as a roadmap for measuring housing outcomes.
The stocktake aims to serve as a tool which determines overall housing needs and availability across the region.
This updated stocktake report serves as the first publication in a series of housing related reports, with the subsequent report focussing specifically on regional affordability.
Housing in the Waikato
One of our priority wellbeing challenges is to ensure all our people are well housed, especially in the affordable housing space.
Housing Stocktake
In 2018 The Waikato Housing Initiative undertook a stocktake of homes in the Waikato, below you will see a snapshot of that data.
Live Housing Data Dashboard
The Waikato Wellbeing Project was keen to assist with developing the data dashboard, because of its importance to our SDG 11 goals, but also as a trial of an approach which we may be able to extend across all our SDG areas.
A data dashboard for housing means that the region can keep the 2019 housing stocktake continuously updated, allowing for better decisions on demand, quality and supply.
How to use the Data Dashboard
Click the image below to access the dashboard, navigate the sections of the dashboard using the tabs along the top of the dashboard to access various data.
Wellbeing Target
The Waikato Region is currently 7,500 houses short and we require 50,000 more homes built by 2043 to meet the needs of our changing communities.
Currently:
23% of homes are damp
18% have mould
Only 15% of Waikato families have enough income to afford to buy a home.
Housing is a priority, action is required now to achieve a brighter future.
Building Stronger Foundations for Housing Wellbeing
Access to safe, warm, and affordable housing is essential for thriving communities and whānau. Through the Lots of Little Fires initiative, we’ve captured the stories of individuals and groups addressing the housing challenges in the Waikato region. From innovative solutions to grassroots initiatives, these stories highlight the collective efforts to ensure everyone has a place to call home.
Explore these inspiring housing journeys and discover how communities are working together to create secure, sustainable, and connected living spaces for all.
