Families in urgent need of a state house are waiting twice as long compared to 18 months ago, Labour says.

Anger is building about the poor condition of rental properties in New Zealand writes Dr Bryce Edwards.

A Whangarei woman with chronic asthma was admitted to intensive care at least four times while living in a mouldy, damp Housing New Zealand property.

Just over two years ago, Housing Minister Nick Smith announced that "this year" the Government was developing a housing warrant of fitness, writes Brian Rudman.

Housing Minister Nick Smith has defended the quality of state houses following the death of a Housing New Zealand tenant from pneumonia.

You'd be surprised just how hard it is to find a family willing to let a Herald writer snoop around their home and ask all sorts of intrusive questions about their substandard living conditions, writes Peter Calder.

Cold, damp housing is a significant issue facing children, with a paediatrician calling for more to be done to change the culture of accepting unfit houses.

Q: I'm a single guy looking to use KiwiSaver to buy my first home. I've been a member for 7 years. Is it correct the Govt will give me an additional $10k for my first home?

Children are more likely to be in material hardship relative to the rest of the population in New Zealand than in any European country.

31 former state houses bought for the Waterview motorway project are being sold on the open market because Housing New Zealand no longer wants them.

There's been a few changes to KiwiSaver affecting first home buyers - and it's mostly good news.

Getting a state house is currently just a "lottery" for tenants, Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett says.

Housing NZ has had to take on more staff just to distribute new home subsidy grants to keep up with demand.

Mt Albert residents who feared an 80-unit Housing NZ scheme in their neighbourhood have been told of much smaller plans.

A big state-owned site in Auckland once earmarked for social and affordable housing is being carved up for sale.

If the likes of the Salvation Army cannot afford to buy cut-price state houses, it seems improbable that any other social services agency is in a position to do so.

This week, Finance Minister Bill English was dealt a blow by the Salvation Army, which rejected his suggestion it buy Housing New Zealand stock.

The Salvation Army has decided against buying state homes off the Government, a blow the Labour Party says is "hugely embarrassing".

Former high-flying multibillion-dollar developer Nigel McKenna is working on Auckland's big state house overhaul.

The country's most expensive state house is being sold to local iwi, almost three years after a tenant was turfed out for benefit fraud.

The receiver of the country's largest off-site house manufacturer is optimistic about selling it after 25 parties made their interest known.

Landlords have hit back at Reserve Bank consultation on their sector, threatening to punish tenants by hiking rents if a tougher lending regime is ushered in.

If you want a state house with a view, forget it. Beautiful views are banned in a draft new Government policy. Double garages and decks are out, too.

Former MP Hone Harawira has been called in to try to ease tensions in Glen Innes after a rock was thrown at a removal man trying to move a state house out of the area last year.

Housing New Zealand has told MPs this morning it could not build state houses any faster even if it was given a blank cheque.

A "ruckus" caused by a 60-year-old state house tenant who refused to move has helped to postpone new housing development in part of Glen Innes.

Try as it might, National has been unable to reframe this particular debate, writes John Armstrong. It's handicapped by the sheer complexity of its housing plan.

Anti-social behaviour at an inner-city apartment block partly owned by Housing NZ has led to 42 complaints, two assaults and a near-fatal stabbing in two years.