The New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) has released its first ever roadmap for existing homes, with recommendations, policy, and funding initiatives aimed at addressing the woeful state of New Zealand’s aging housing stock.
“Every year winter brings a morbid reminder of the failure of New Zealand housing. A roof over people’s heads isn’t enough. Draughty, cold, damp, mouldy homes are a common fixture in many Kiwi lives, and unfortunately, it’s making them sick, costing them a fortune to heat, and leaving damaging long term impacts,” says NZGBC chief executive Andrew Eagles.
Poor housing is a key contributor to respiratory disease, which affects around a million New Zealanders, and costs the country $8.7 billion per year. One in ten hospital admissions can be attributed to respiratory illness, from conditions such as asthma, pneumonia, and rheumatic fever.
“This roadmap provides a clear timeline to address the appalling state of New Zealand homes, helping alleviate the health burden on families and the medical system, while also offering part of the solution to a raft of other challenges like energy poverty, unsustainable peak winter electricity use, and climate change pollution. “
The Roadmap lays out timelines for introducing four key recommendations:
A deep retrofit programme starting from 2025 with a pilot of 300 homes, expanding to 200,000 of our worst performing homes.
Radical expansion of the Government’s Warmer Kiwi Homes subsidies for a shallow retrofit programme – broaden measures covered and expand eligibility for subsidies to allow 100,000 owner occupied homes to be energy efficient by 2030
Roll out a national housing improvement finance programme to provide the balance of funding at Government interest rates for owner occupiers and landlords to achieve 250,000 energy efficient homes by 2035
Trial an Energy Performance (New Zealand) Certificate by 2026, and phase in mandatory energy and carbon emissions targets with all homes meeting a target EPC grade when sold or rented by 2030.
“The Government has a key role in facilitating and incentivising the retrofit and transformation of those aging homes. We know from large, successful retrofit programmes underway most OECD countries that homeowners and landlords want better homes but often need support through central government initiatives to improve them.”
In the last week, a new study on the Government’s Healthy Homes Initiative found that for every dollar spent in the programme, there’s an estimated $5 in health savings over the following five years. The University of Otago analysis found the initiative led to an 18% decrease in hospitalisations and a 5% decrease in school absences for those families. It has also had a positive impact on employment, with a reduction in the number of people on a benefit.
Fixing our homes where we live, work and play, leads to great outcomes for our whānau and the New Zealand economy. We can fix the economy, health, productivity, education standards, and electricity demand, while also addressing the impact our homes is having on our climate.
The Existing Homes Roadmap has the endorsement of Asthma & Respiratory Foundation NZ, Wellington Regional Healthy Housing Group, Community Energy Network and Eco Design Advisors. Thank you for the dozens of experts and industry professionals who have contributed to the report.