Strong case for improving New Zealand’s unsustainable homes

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New Zealand homes are cold, damp, unhealthy and inefficient. They contribute to poor health, increase environmental impacts and take money out of our pockets.
However, these problems can be fixed with a relatively simple set of changes to our homes that the Government needs to drive.

These are the findings of a report to Government from Beacon Pathway, a group of agencies with a common interest in improving the ways that ordinary New Zealanders live.
Beacon general manager Nick Collins is concerned about the scale of the problem. “Our homes are, on average, 6oC colder than the World Health Organisation’s recommended indoor temperature,” he says.

“Nearly half our homes are mouldy. We have become used to living in poor conditions, and that’s not acceptable.”
Mr Collins points out our “clean, green” image does not extend to everyday resource use. “The inefficient use of energy and water in New Zealand homes imposes high costs on households and increases carbon emissions.”

The health impacts are also significant — New Zealand has the second highest rate of asthma in the world, which is related to our poor housing conditions — and cost taxpayers in the form of healthcare needs related to unhealthy housing, he says.

Beacon Pathway sees its report as a wake-up call on the health and environmental effects of the houses we live in, and the costs to families and the nation.
While the report backs recent research showing that people on low incomes suffer most as they tend to live in the poorest housing, more affluent households tend to use more water and more energy to heat inefficiently designed homes, creating significant environmental impacts.

“We all need to realise that this is everyone’s problem, and we all have to commit to a solution. Beacon sees Government as a key player to drive the necessary changes, both as a regulator, funder and landlord.”
The group believes current Government initiatives, while a good start, are not sufficient to address the problem effectively. In particular, Beacon recommends focusing on a combination of actions to make the most difference to health and the environment.

“Installing better heating is much more efficient if you insulate and ventilate properly at the same time,” Mr Collins says.
“Sustainability is not just about energy use but needs to also look at the quality of the air we breathe inside our homes, our use of water, the materials we use and the waste we produce.”

There are enormous benefits to be gained by upgrading New Zealand’s housing stock in terms of its sustainability.
Economic analysis shows that combinations of simple changes to housing on a national scale would save enough energy to power 50,000 homes each year, and save New Zealand families $2 billion by 2017.”

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