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Building standards need to be strengthened if a national vision promoting healthy homes is to be realised, Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins says.
The Dunedin City Council has called for a review of the building code, as well as an examination of whether the accommodation supplement system works as intended, and the council has continued its push for broader access to a rental subsidy.
Mr Hawkins said aspirations expressed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in a discussion document promoting affordable, warm and dry housing in the next 30 years were hard to argue with.
However, building standards were not adequate to generate healthy housing, he said.
The council asked for the building code to be reviewed to ensure better quality new homes are built.
It also asked for a review to look into the impact of the accommodation supplement on affordable housing.
The scheme helps people on lower incomes with their living costs, but Mr Hawkins had some doubts the effect on the rental market promoted affordable housing in the long term.
Cr Rachel Elder said
providing sufficient affordable community housing was a challenge when the need was increasing and large portfolios had to be brought up to healthy homes standards.
The council added to its draft submission on the discussion document that council tenants should have access to the income-related rents subsidy, which gives community housing providers a top-up on rent received.
Councils are excluded from the scheme.
Cr Jim O’Malley said if the block on councils was lifted, the council could use increased income to build more housing.
Deputy mayor Christine Garey drew attention to regional house price caps connected to the First Home grants scheme.
Home-buyers able to find a home in Dunedin for under $425,000 may be eligible for a grant.
The city council has called for the cap to be reviewed regularly and increased where necessary.