The thesis title clearly establishes my research focus — third sector (not-for-profit) housing systems and related policy interventions designed to enable improved and socially-diffuse outcomes. The research approach is ‘practice’ rather than ‘theory’ oriented and examines exemplar not-for-profit cooperative housing systems and policies that have been successfully implemented in selected European countries — comparing these against New Zealand law and policy.

The research can be divided into four main areas of interest; (1) not-for-profit housing systems in selected countries, (2) the policies that enabled their emergence and growth, (3) how those systems and policies have contributed to improved housing access, affordability and quality outcomes, especially for people where conventional property ownership or market pricing is out of reach and (4) how such systems and policies can be enabled here to positively disrupt the housing ecosystem.

I’m undertaking this research for a Master of Philosophy at Auckland University of Technology School of Future Environments — to help shape potential further tertiary and sector research.

In this section the current state of play in New Zealand’s housing sector is examined — analysing house price data between 2000 and 2023 and traversing the laissez-faire housing policies which have accompanied some of the worst housing affordability statistics in the OECD. The disconnect between ideology-based housing policy and market reality is explored — offering obvious commercial rationale for why simply zoning more and more land for mainly market-led and priced housing will not achieve better housing outcomes — especially improved affordability. The readiness of the country to fund the economic and social infrastructure required to support a high growth urban development political agenda and the back-to-front order of zoning informing infrastructure decisions, is questioned. The reliance on property capital gain as the main means of getting ahead in society, the very two-dimensional private ownership and private rental market structure and limited housing tenure options, and how to change the conversation on all this are also tentatively articulated. Finally the potential for the kind of not-for-profit cooperative housing systems and related policies successfully implemented in many European countries to positively disrupt our housing ecosystem — the main focus of this research — is touched on. This sets the scene for sections that follow.

The research architecture reflects the multi-dimensional and complex nature of the exploratory study subject matter. A scoping literature review covering a wide range of sources has been undertaken to inform the research components and distill key characteristics — the evidence for third sector (not-for-profit) housing. Research into third sector housing policy and systems explores the multi-stakeholder relationships between the state, municipalities, not-for-profit housing providers, occupiers and the market. The research framework is appropriate for what is intentionally very much a ‘qualitative’ and wide-ranging exploratory study. The research is focused mainly on the ‘perspective’ of low to middle income households seeking affordable, good quality housing with security of tenure — because this cohort of households is experiencing the poorest housing outcomes in New Zealand. The ‘interventions’ of primary interest are ‘not-for-profit’ ‘cooperative housing’ systems and the related policy and legislative frameworks  that have enabled these. The reasons for focusing on the ‘not-for-profit’ sector are, firstly, because this has largely been ignored in New Zealand as a potential important contributor to a vibrant and multi-faceted housing sector and, secondly, the ‘for-profit’ housing sector is already well enabled by government policy here.

This section constitutes the research literature review — and traverses a wide range of material identifying and describing key dimensions of not-for-profit (cooperative) housing. It examines the sociological tradition that informed the principles at the core of the cooperative movement and third sector (cooperative) housing systems in European countries that comprise the research reference area. The research explores the link between socially-focused housing policy and improved housing outcomes. Key dimensions explored include; the social values (versus commercial imperatives) that typify third sector housing, wider access through alternative tenure models, policy interventions focused on housing affordability and social equality in decision-making. Affordable housing policy interventions of particular interest traverse; state and municipal enablement, capital supply/cost, spatial planning and housing law and policy, population growth and inbound net migration, systemic risk diversification, building capability/cost, and land supply/cost.

The thesis will wrap-up with a final discussion, conclusions and recommendations for ongoing focused research.

Important note

The full body of research and components thereof are subject to copyright and will be made available to researchers and others with appropriate citation. Components of the research may be published by myself from time to time in academic journals, sector reports, and other online media.

This research description is drawn from an iterative and much more detailed framework which has evolved over the duration of the project. I’m nearing the end of Section 3 which has been ever expanding in scope and size. My current research output sits at ~84,000 words and ~190 pages. I’m on target to wrap-up the thesis this month.