Family of 10 buck city's housing trend

FULL HOUSE: Tanya (centre) and Aaron Warren with their family. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

Rotorua has more houses than it did 100 years ago but there are fewer people living in them, Statistics New Zealand data shows.

It shows the city has only about 2.6 people per household.

This fits in with the national trend of 2.7 people per household, which is nearly half the number of people per household in 1886, when 5.2 people was the average.

First National principal Ann Crossley had not noticed families were shrinking but said people's living arrangements were changing.

"I guess in that century there will be family living with extended family, whereas that doesn't happen as much any more.

"We're coming from the house point of view but the expectation of space is bigger. When I was a kid, people would share bedrooms but now it is uncommon for kids to share. People might say I have got two children but I want four bedrooms."

Statistics NZ researcher Rosemary Goodyear said there were several reasons why fewer people were living under the same roof.

"Households have changed. Our families are smaller, and - partly because of our ageing population - there are more couple-only and one-person households."

But one Rotorua family are bucking the trend, with about 10 family members and their partners all living in one six-bedroom property.

Family matriarch Tanya Warren said it was at times chaotic, but she would not have it any other way.

"I've been used to having people around," she said.

"I always get a surprised look or comment when we we tell them we've got six children ... as well as the dogs and pigs - it's dysfunctional as, but it's our dysfunctional."

She added: "The negatives are they eat so it's a pretty big shopping trip, but they are pretty good at contributing now."