Abstract
More than 24 thousand households in Aotearoa NZ are assessed as being in serious housing need. Many of these households include children whose current and future wellbeing is likely to be impaired by living in precarious housing conditions.
This Briefing summarises recent evidence that provision of public housing can improve the wellbeing of people currently in private tenancies. Public housing is, on average, of better quality than are private rentals, and security of tenure is higher. The evidence indicates that secure tenure is a factor in explaining why wellbeing of tenants is higher in public housing than in private housing. This benefit comes in addition to the beneficial wellbeing effects of living in better quality housing.