More than 1,300 people have submitted on the Government’s recent proposal to make it easier to build granny flats.
“The strong response shows how popular the proposal is and how hungry the public is for common sense changes to make it simpler and more affordable to build,” said RMA Reform Minister, Chris Bishop.
“We know there is an urgent need to bring down the cost of housing. Given renters spend 40% of their income on housing it shouldn’t be controversial to state the obvious: housing is too expensive in New Zealand.
“This is holding us back and harming our economy.”
The response to the proposal included 446 email submissions, 883 online submissions completed, 1,905 online submissions initiated, and 24,393 total webpage views on the granny flats consultation page.
“We have bigger ambitions for improving the planning and consenting system more broadly, but allowing Kiwis to more easily build small dwellings of up to 60 square metres is a quick win to unlock opportunities for growth and flexible living,” added Construction Minister, Chris Penk.
“Our population is ageing, and the number of small families is also on the rise. There is more demand for smaller homes to cater for our changing population and families need more housing options to support their lifestyles.
“The fact that nearly 25,000 people have viewed the website to find out more information about the granny flat proposal, speaks to the high demand and the reality that this kind of housing is not just for seniors or retirees.
“We have had resoundingly positive feedback from the public, and from builders who see the proposal as a sensible step in the right direction for increasing the supply of affordable housing,” he said.
The proposal is part of the National-NZ First Coalition Agreement to amend the Building Act and the resource consent system to make it easier to build granny flats or other small structures up to 60m2.
