New Zealand's Housing Reforms and Accommodation Supplement Experience

This paper sets out details of New Zealand's recent housing reforms and examines some of the criticisms levelled at the changes that have occurred. It is argued that the introduction of an Accommodation Supplement has the potential to promote fiscal ‘blowout’ in government expenditure, may contribute to housing affordability problems and, combined with the changes in the management of public housing, increase socio-spatial polarisation within urban areas.