The New Zealand Housing Survey: what housing choices do NZers want?

This report examines a range of alternative housing ownership and delivery models that can contribute to improved affordability, security of tenure, and long-term community outcomes in Aotearoa New Zealand. Prepared by The Urban Advisory, the report responds to persistent challenges in New Zealand’s housing system and explores models that sit outside traditional private rental and owner-occupier frameworks.

The report considers cooperative housing as one important model within a wider set of collective, community-led, and non-speculative housing approaches, drawing on both international experience and New Zealand context.

Report at a glance

• Prepared by: The Urban Advisory

• Date: 2025

• Focus: Alternative housing ownership and delivery models

• Geographic scope: New Zealand

• Format: Policy and sector analysis report (PDF)

Why this report matters

New Zealand continues to face structural housing challenges, including affordability pressures, insecure tenure, and limited diversity in housing delivery models. This report provides practical analysis of how alternative approaches can complement existing housing systems and contribute to more stable, inclusive, and resilient communities.

For policymakers, local government, housing providers, and community groups, the report offers a grounded assessment of how different ownership and governance models operate, the conditions under which they succeed, and the barriers that currently limit their uptake in New Zealand.

Key themes explored

• Limitations of conventional housing ownership and delivery models

• International examples of collective and community-led housing approaches

• Cooperative housing as a mechanism for long-term affordability and resident control

• Legal, financial, and planning barriers to alternative housing models

• The role of policy, regulation, and public sector support in enabling new approaches

• Opportunities to diversify New Zealand’s housing system beyond speculative markets

How to use the report

• Inform housing policy and planning discussions at central and local government level

• Support exploration of alternative housing models by community groups and practitioners

• Provide context for advocacy relating to cooperative and community-led housing

• Complement international research on non-market and collective housing approaches

Relationship to cooperative housing

While the report examines a range of housing models, cooperative housing is presented as a well-established international approach with relevance for New Zealand. The analysis situates cooperative housing within a broader ecosystem of alternative ownership models, highlighting its potential contribution alongside other community-based solutions.

Listen to Liz Thomas describe the successful federated cooperative housing model in Australia, and the benefits to co-op residents and communities.

Read more reports