"I'm lucky to have a house." A critique of current and past housing policy and practice, and the effects on a group of Invercargill residents and housing providers.

Abstract

Housing is not just about the building. It is a home, where people create their identity, live out their relationships, their plans and their social and cultural obligations (Easthope, 2004:135; Clapham, 2002:48). It is subject to several international human rights obligations for which the New Zealand government is accountable. It is at the same time a political-economic unit; a vehicle for financial investment, a market-based tradeable commodity. This dualism is a factor in New Zealand’s current mix of social and market-based housing (Bierre, Howden-Chapman and Signal (2008:21). This study explores how various needs are met by the existing housing mix, which needs are left unmet, and how this impacts on people’s lives. A constructivist, ethnographic methodology enables the development of a comparison analysis of housing from multiple points of view: Invercargill residents and housing providers were interviewed using a semi-structured format. The result is a context-rich exploration of Invercargill’s existing capacity to adequately house its population in homes that are secure, warm and safe.

The study concludes that whole groups of Invercargill people are excluded from adequate housing, and have great difficulty having their voices heard. What is suggested is a whole-of-society housing strategy that meets New Zealand’s human rights obligations. The strategy should link to policy and programmes at community-level, and be based on participation of residents and providers at all levels and stages. the abstract of your thesis