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Recent data suggests that the ability to move through housing tenure states into homeownership is becoming more difficult, especially for low and modest income households.
The clients of Salvation Army Community and Family Services were asked for this research about their housing aspirations, and in particular their attitude to, and experience of, moving into homeownership.
The survey respondents were mostly renting and on low incomes from benefits and/or wages.
There were 802 respondents to the survey from 24 Community and Family Social Service Centres around New Zealand. The majority (73%) were female and aged between 30 and 39 years. Most received a government benefit, but one quarter were either on wages or salaries, or a combination of benefit and wages. The households represented in the survey included 1335 children, 357 young people and 1408 adults.
The majority of survey respondents were renting, either from the state (37%) or from a private landlord (40%). Only a small percentage (8%) lived in their own home, with or without a mortgage.