A new framework establishes a broad understanding of what is meant by ‘housing quality’ and will be useful across the
New Zealand data system, Stats NZ said today.
“Until now, there’s been no agreed definition of housing quality, either nationally or internationally, so it’s great to
see this piece of work come to fruition,” acting systems and partnerships general manager Rosemary McGrath said.
“The framework will support standardisation in the way information on housing quality is collected, which will benefit
policymaking, research initiatives, and statistical outputs.”
The housing quality conceptual framework brings together and defines four interrelated elements of housing quality:
housing habitability, housing functionality, environmental sustainability, and social and cultural sustainability.
“By taking a people-centred approach – incorporating things like cultural values and community connections, alongside
physical considerations like design and construction – we get a much fuller picture of what ‘housing quality’ really
means to New Zealanders,” Ms McGrath said.
The framework defines housing quality as: the degree to which housing provides a healthy, safe, secure, sustainable, and
resilient environment for individuals, families, and whānau to live in and to participate within their kāinga, natural
environment, and communities.
In the New Zealand data system, frameworks play an important role in developing measures, and the housing quality
conceptual framework will be a fundamental component in the development of improved housing quality statistics by the
Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
Framework for housing quality has more information.