Abstract
Existing research establishes a clear link between housing quality, and health and wellbeing, with public housing playing an especially important role in supporting the health and wellbeing of populations already facing health inequities. As the need for (and cost of) public housing in New Zealand increases, increasing focus is being placed on mixed tenure development to meet this need in a cost-effective way. Mixed tenure neighbourhoods can be defined as neighbourhoods that include a range of tenures, such as market home ownership, some form of affordable home ownership, market or affordable rental, and public housing. These neighbourhoods include a mix of socio-economic groups, and proponents of this style of development consider that this mix leads to better outcomes for low-income households. Mixed tenure neighbourhoods can also support the cost effectiveness of public housing, through allowing some profit to be made through selling land and developing market and affordable homes.
However, homeowners in mixed tenure neighbourhoods can (and often do) oppose public housing, and may hold stigmatising views, or behave in discriminatory ways, towards public housing tenants. This can impact the number of public housing places built, and can negatively impact the health and wellbeing of public housing tenants. As such, understanding the perspectives of homeowners in mixed tenure neighbourhoods has the potential to increase support for public housing, allow more housing to be built, and reduce stigma and discrimination felt by public housing tenants in mixed tenure neighbourhoods. This qualitative descriptive study explores the perspectives of homeowners in one mixed tenure neighbourhood, in Mount Cook, Wellington. This research aims to identify homeowners’ views on public housing, as well as identify what ‘good’ mixed tenure development looks like to them.
The analysis identifies that homeowners enjoy living next to public housing (specifically because of the diversity it brings to the community), despite limited interaction with public housing tenants. Homeowners consider public housing tenants to be part of the community, and identify very few instances of disruption or poor behaviour. Homeowners consider that ‘good’ public housing should be ‘high quality’ (warm, dry housing with outdoor and communal space), with provision of on-site social supports. These findings contradict the prevailing media narrative about public housing in New Zealand, which portrays public housing tenants as difficult to live next to, and homeowners as opposed to the construction of public housing in their neighbourhood. Sharing these results may help to counter this dominant negative narrative, and increase public and political support for public housing. In turn, this can increase the health and wellbeing of public housing tenants (and those on the waitlist) by allowing more people to move into warm, dry housing with stable tenure.