Pacific home ownership plummets: ‘Something needs to change’

New Census data shows 16.8 percent of Pacific people owned their own home in 2023, compared with 42.1 percent of all New Zealanders.

“This is a heartbreaking statistic.

“It’s a life aspiration for Pacific people to own their own homes, and to be locked out of that life aspiration has a raft of negative impacts.

“Our government, and our society as a whole, needs to take action urgently to help turn around this housing situation for Pacific people, which is currently getting worse every year,” says Dr Karamia Müller, who is co-director of MĀPIHI Māori and Pacific Housing Research Centre at Waipapa Taumata Rau.

Over the past few decades, the rate of home ownership for Pacific people has plummeted – in 1986, 51 percent of Pacific households owned their own home.

The rate has dropped steeply since 2018, when 35 percent of Pacific people lived in their own home.

Müller says Pacific people tend to earn less, have less in KiwiSaver, and have less intergenerational wealth.

“For many Pacific families, the financial barriers are steep. Saving a deposit for a house while managing basic living costs can feel out of reach,” says Müller.

As a result, many Pacific families remain in rental housing, which is frequently poorly maintained and prone to dampness and mould.

Poor quality housing can cause health problems, such as rheumatic heart fever. Pacific children are 80 times more likely to be hospitalised with rheumatic heart fever than other children in New Zealand, says Müller.

“Improving housing quality is essential for the health and well-being of Pacific children and older generations, who are particularly vulnerable to respiratory illnesses related to poorer housing,” she says.

Müller is calling on the government to provide incentives to developers to build affordable housing that meets the unique needs of Pacific families, who tend to have more people living together.

“Something needs to change when several generations living under one roof can’t buy a home, even when they pool their resources,” says Müller.

Despite these challenges, the resilience, collective strength, and cultural values of Pacific communities are key to driving meaningful change, she says.