The Front Page podcast: The housing crisis is about to get worse

Demand for state housing is far outstripping the rate at which it's being built. Photo / Michael Craig

Each week The Front Page takes you behind the scenes of the biggest story from the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB. Today it's the escalating problems in housing, and how it impacts us all. Hosted by Frances Cook.

A new investigation is sounding a warning that thousands more New Zealanders are in danger of homelessness, with demand for state housing far outstripping the rate at which it's being built.

Some commentators are warning that people living in caravan parks and motels becomes our new normal.

It particularly spells trouble for working parents, and those about to hit retirement.

But it impacts everyone, with the wider housing issue leaving New Zealand with the highest house prices relative to income in the OECD.

The past 30 years has seen falling home-ownership rates, a lack of new rentals, and rising rents.

It's this wider trend which has priced working families out of private rentals, and into state housing, or homelessness.

For the latest Front Page I spoke with investigative journalist Kirsty Johnston about what she uncovered, and the small number of solutions available.

For the interview, watch the video podcast above.

For more of Kirsty Johnston's work on the housing issue, read these stories:

'We are in deep trouble': Dire lack of state housing creates a new homeless
Ani's story: Inside New Zealand's unending state house crisis
Inside the world of New Zealand's most prolific property speculators

If you have questions about Herald investigations, or want to stay up to date on social media, you can find host Frances Cook on Facebook here, Instagram here and Twitter here.

You can subscribe to this podcast on the podcast apps, including iHeartRadio here, Apple podcasts here, Spotify here, and Google podcasts here.