A City For People: We Want More Homes For All In Wellington - The Council Must Pass An Ambitious Spatial Plan

Monday, 31 May 2021, 8:36 am
Press Release: Generation Zero

A City for People, with Generation Zero and Renters United, have relaunched their campaign to support more housing for all in Wellington.

The City Council faces an upcoming vote on the Spatial Plan and the consultation on the District Plan later in the year. Passing an ambitious Spatial Plan that enables lots of homes to be built for all is an important opportunity to put people first and make a plan to share our city as it grows.

We have three actions in the next month:

A petition on ActionStation that asks the Council to enable more homes, and less blanket character protection. These homes should be accessible, well-designed, environmentally-friendly and built by all, including iwi Māori.

A photo competition “Wellington's Next Top Mould-el” where people send in photos of their nastiest flats and wildest housing stories. The winner will receive a prize of the current median weekly rent in Wellington ($610 as of April 2021).

A panel event on Wednesday 16 June at 5:30pm where we hear people’s experiences of the housing crisis, especially those not centred in the media.

“Wellington can be a city built for people – with thriving communities, green spaces, and well designed homes and buildings that improve everyone’s lives”, said spokesperson Marko Garlick.

“But Wellington’s housing crisis is hurting the people who live here. Decades of inaction mean house prices and rents are out of control, while badly maintained properties rot from underneath us. People are being priced out of the city, spending hours each day commuting while the city sprawls and our emissions rise.”

“This crisis is different for everyone. Migrants, the LGBTQI+ community, and Pacifica & Māori are discriminated against in the rental market. Disabled people have very little choice of accessible homes. Everything is too expensive.”

“Last year, the Council asked the public for feedback on its 30-year Spatial Plan to make space for more housing. It didn't go far enough. The housing crisis needs serious long-term solutions like drastically increasing the number of homes. So we told them we needed more townhouses. More apartments. More homes close to where people work, live, and play.”

“We need to reduce the protections on colonial character houses - many of these “character” houses are overcrowded, falling apart, and making people sick. They push out the real character: our young people, renters, and creatives who make this city great.”

“An ambitious Spatial Plan will deliver Wellingtonians affordable, quality homes in communities where they can put their roots down and thrive.”

Ngā mihi nui,

A City for People, Generation Zero, and Renters United

We have come together to achieve a long-term solution to our city’s housing crisis.

Contact: 0221883628, or marko@generationzero.org.nz.

A City for People is a non-partisan group of Wellingtonians who share a progressive and sustainable vision for Wellington’s built environment.

Generation Zero is a youth-led climate action organisation

Renters United is an advocacy group for renters that campaigns to make renting better for everyone.

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