Auckland housing market

[artemis]

Quite right, Bj. And it's not just the "one income" bit that's changed.There's been a huge shift in the definition of "family" - housing policy needs to take account of this, somehow. Governments and society generally are a long way from solutions to this problem.

What sort of changes were you thinking of? Census stats on household composition have not changed much since the 2001 census.

Most households are one family, but nearly a quarter are one person (thus one income) households.

[Bjauck]

What sort of changes were you thinking of? Census stats on household composition have not changed much since the 2001 census.

Most households are one family, but nearly a quarter are one person (thus one income) households.

Many of those one person households I imagine are older widows/windowers many of whom have owned property for many years, perhaps mortgage free now. An asset rich, cash and income poor situation for many perhaps.

It would be interesting to see stats on the cheapest quartile of the property market. I imagine that is where you may see many overcrowded poor households plus the poorer pensioners. Many of the single person widowed household are likely to be in the traditional Kiwi single dwelling section property, that was often the kiwi norm decades ago. Also the smart retirement village units would have lots of single person households. These days our dear leaders have been telling young couples to buy a sardine tin apartment as that is what their policies have helped produce as the affordable option.