Published on 15th of September, 2025
Ageing in peace, security and dignity is something we all want for our elders and for ourselves. The foundation for this is access to decent housing. But increasing numbers of older New Zealanders are struggling to find and afford a home in which they can age even moderately well.
There has long been an expectation that home ownership would provide financial security for people in retirement. The reality is very different. More and more New Zealanders are reaching retirement age paying rent. Currently about 13% of those aged over 65 are renters; that’s about 110,000 people. By 2048, this will reach 40%. With our ageing population, this will amount to approximately 600,000 people–a staggering increase that our country is simply not prepared for.
This crisis is unfolding in three important ways. First, many older people are on a modest, fixed income, receiving NZ Super and little else. NZ Super was not designed to be an adequate support for people renting their homes. Many are spending well over half of their income on rent, leaving little to spare for food, power, healthcare and transport.
Second, we need age friendly houses, in particular one-bedroom affordable homes that are accessible to those with mobility challenges. But only a very small percentage of homes like this are being built either by private developers or the State.
Third, with local councils reducing their pensioner housing and Kāinga Ora focusing primarily on families, older renters must look to the private sector. Unfortunately, there they experience poorer housing quality, poorer affordability and less tenure security than home owners. For many this means struggling to pay the rent, being cold in winter, and for many having to uproot themselves from their community. Poverty, ill health and social isolation are not what we wish for our elders.
CMM wants to highlight the crisis in older people’s housing and so we are developing a campaign called Doors to Dignity: Ensuring all Older People are Housed Well. Doors to Dignity will be launched on 1 October, International Day for Older Persons. And we are delighted to be celebrating the launch alongside a photo exhibition called Listen Up! Seniors take a stand on housing/Whakarongo mai! E nga kaumātua e tu ana mo te whare.
The exhibition has been created by David Cook, photographer and senior lecturer at Massey University. He highlights the housing stories and struggles of older New Zealanders, including some from CMM’s own Wesley Village and Whare Tiaki. David reflects: “I’m so grateful to the fellow seniors and kaumātua who shared their housing experiences. Their stories are raw, honest and challenging. Their stories need to be heard. Listen up!”
