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Housing

Dream of Home Ownership Killed by Town Planning

"Home ownership in New Zealand is in crisis. Studies from around the world and here at home, show that the problem is caused by town planning policies that restrict and ration the supply of land," declares Libertarianz Environment Spokesman and architect Peter Cresswell. "It is time to realise that the Kiwi dream of home-ownership is being killed by the fashionable regulations of town planners."

A 2006 housing affordability study by Demographia shows clearly that Auckland ranks among the most unaffordable cities in the world in which to buy a house, as measured by income -- more unaffordable than cities like Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Quebec, Ottawa and even New York -- "In fact," says Cresswell, "It shows that all cities that have adopted so-called 'smart growth' policies rationing the supply of land become unaffordable. This applies as much to Portland, San Francisco, Sydney and London as it does to Auckland."

Cresswell says the Housing Affordability Survey shows that wherever these strategies are imposed to ration and restrict land development, house prices rise and home ownership falls. "It's a classic case of supply and demand. Cut off the supply of new land, and house prices skyrocket."

"If Housing Minister Chris Carter really wanted to do something to permanently help first home-owners," says Cresswell, "He should demand that councils immediately remove their 'smart growth' policies, their 'metropolitan urban limits' and all other restrictions on land supply imposed under the Resource Management Act."

ENDS

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