Abstract:
Lack of affordable housing has become a central issue in major urban centres of New
Zealand. Unprecedented demand for housing in recent years has resulted in high rental costs,
increased pressure on the available rental stock, declining rates of homeownership, and a widening
gap between the current tenures, particularly in Auckland. While stakeholder responses to address
housing unaffordability remain rooted in complex dynamics between demand and supply, so far,
top-end interventions have offered limited sustenance to augment tenure mobility for households.
This thesis proposes an alternative pathway to homeownership after examining a
correlation between housing prices and household incomes. It initially conjectures that a partial
reason for stagnation in the housing continuum arises due to the unavailability of incomecompatible
alternative tenures in the housing market, essentially arguing that choices are essential
in current homeownership pathways to maintain a flow in the housing continuum. Housing choices
must allow households to select from various tenure options without compromising their
preference for housing models.
The alternative pathway termed Intergenerational Community Developments, or ICDs is a
specifically coined term in this research that redefines affordability to reflect different financial
capacities of income-diverse households. An ICD model comprises three essential elements. The
organisational component of cross-sector collaboration ensures optimum utilisation of resources
and risk minimisation through shared responsibilities. The financial component explores funding
through ingenious mechanisms like cross-subsidisation and offers alternative procurement models
(APM) as income-compatible tenures for households. The physical element provides a variety of
architecturally designed multifamily typologies. A multi-case methodology qualitatively examines
sixteen overseas ICDs to identify replicability factors for Auckland.
The findings reveal that in the absence of supporting policies initiating ICD processes for
Auckland may appear challenging initially. However, if well-executed by the collaboration, ICDs
may prove effective, affordable housing alternatives. Also, architects play central roles in ICD
processes by efficiently contributing through high-quality, sustainable design and a tenure-blind
approach to enhance social inclusion. In conclusion, a strong collaboration with clear agendas, a
robust understanding of APMs, and the early engagement of architects are essential for the success
of ICDs. The key, however, lies in end-user engagement and community consultation during early
decision-making processes.