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Increasingly unaffordable rising rents causing unacceptable levels of poverty and homelessness

A new report released by The Salvation Army reveals the increasing unaffordability of rents as a key driver of the unacceptable levels of poverty and homelessness in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The report, titled ‘Tackling Rental Affordability in Communities’, shows that the lack of affordable rental housing is a key cause of the housing crisis affecting thousands of people across the motu.

The report introduces the idea of a fair rent for homes in lower income communities being 30 percent of weekly income. This would complement other necessary housing policies, such as increasing social housing supply and better-designed housing-related income support. 

Report author, Paul Barber, principal policy analyst with The Salvation Army’s Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit (SPPU), says housing unaffordability is first and foremost a moral issue.

“Every New Zealander has a right to decent housing,” he says. “As a relatively wealthy nation, there is no shortage of resources for rectifying this situation.”

He adds: “If we are to address the levels of poverty and homelessness that we are now seeing, ideas like ‘fair rent’ are concepts we must work with to create a fairer society where our whānau can flourish.”

The report is available at:

The report comes ahead of the release of The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report, due for release on 12 February. The State of the Nation provides an annual snapshot of our social progress as a nation and includes statistics on affordable housing.


The Salvation Army Territorial Media Officer, 021 945 337, email: media@salvationarmy.org.nz (The Media Officer responds to enquiries from media outlets and journalists. If you would like to donate, are in need of help, or have some other non-media-related enquiry, please call 0800 53 00 00.)