Welcome to the Homes Built for Real Lives, Great Futures research page.

On this site you will find the research CRESA is facilitating or participating in for the Building Better Homes Towns and Cities National Science Challenge that focus on affordable homes that function for people in different stages and phases of their lives in changing households, families and communities.

The first set of research you will find here is concerned with revitalising the building industry’s production of affordable homes that meet the needs of low and modest income households whether in rental or home ownership. Under-supply of new dwellings has been cited as a major contributor to New Zealand’s high house prices, falling owner occupation, and increasing numbers of households burdened with unaffordable housing. Consequently, central and local government have sought to encourage new-builds and the release of land for residential purposes. There has been an ongoing downward trend since the 1960s in the number of new homes being built at the affordable end of the market and it is clear that high numbers of residential new builds do not inevitably deliver housing affordable to households and families with limited resources.