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I'm a Pacific voter in a multigenerational household with children and older relatives. Our main concerns are household costs, enough space and access to healthcare. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What would parties do about affordable housing suitable for larger households?
2026 New Zealand election: Affordable housing for larger and multigenerational households
For a household where parents, children, grandparents or other relatives live together, affordable housing means more than simply having a roof over your head. It means having enough bedrooms, privacy, accessible facilities for older relatives, manageable household costs and access to healthcare.
There are some important differences between the parties' housing proposals for the 2026 New Zealand general election, particularly around multigenerational living, public housing, homeownership and affordable rentals.
One important distinction: Some parties explicitly mention multigenerational housing or homes designed for whānau. Others focus more generally on increasing housing supply, reducing building costs or helping first-home buyers. Those approaches may benefit larger households, but they do not necessarily guarantee suitable homes will be available.
The following comparison reflects policies and party commitments available as at 1 November 2026, ahead of the 7 November election.
1. What the main parties are proposing
| Party | Main housing proposals | Relevance to larger households |
|---|---|---|
| National | Expand granny-flat building rules; reserve at least 20% of Housing Flexible Fund places for seniors; extend access to 5% deposit home loans. | A granny flat could give grandparents or adult children separate living space. Seniors' housing is also a specific commitment. |
| Labour | At least 6,000 additional social housing places over four years; expand first-home loans; introduce rent-to-buy; require 25% of new Kāinga Ora homes to meet accessible design standards. | More public housing and accessible homes could help families with older relatives or additional needs. |
| Green Party | Build thousands of public homes; expand papakāinga; improve rental standards and introduce rent controls. | Explicitly supports housing with room for intergenerational living and homes suitable for kaumātua, including mobility features and single-level designs. |
| Te Pāti Māori | Build 2,000 homes on ancestral Māori land; expand social housing; allocate 50% of new social housing to Māori households; introduce rent control. | Explicitly supports homes designed to accommodate whānau and investment in papakāinga and marae-centred communities. |
| ACT | Reduce planning and development barriers, increase housing supply and change rental property tax treatment. | Could increase the number of homes available, but its published proposals provide less specific detail about larger family homes or multigenerational designs. |
| New Zealand First | Prioritise social housing for citizens, reserve some social housing for seniors and ensure infrastructure is available for new developments. | The seniors' housing commitment may help older relatives, although there is limited detail on larger household accommodation. |
| The Opportunities Party (TOP) | Support modular construction, co-housing, papakāinga and changes to make a wider mix of homes easier to build. | Explicitly proposes making it easier to build multigenerational homes. Also supports affordable housing finance through councils, iwi and community housing providers. |
Sources: CCS Disability Action's 2026 party policy analysis, The D*List's party housing comparison and Interest.co.nz's election housing policy overview. Election 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisParty policies, simplified: HousingThe property policies: How election 2026 housing promises line up
2. Which proposals specifically address multigenerational living?
This is an important distinction for Pacific households, where sharing a home across generations can be a practical and cultural choice.
The Opportunities Party
Its policy explicitly names multigenerational homes. It proposes changing planning rules to allow more housing types, including co-housing and papakāinga, and supporting modular construction.
This is a direct proposal for the type of living arrangement you describe.
Te Pāti Māori
Its commitment to build 2,000 homes on ancestral Māori land and ensure government housing accommodates all whānau is relevant to collective family living.
Its papakāinga approach also supports community-based housing development.
Green Party
Its policy specifically mentions room for intergenerational living, prioritising kaumātua on social housing waiting lists and building warm, single-level homes with mobility features.
National
Its expanded granny-flat rules could make it easier to create a separate living space for grandparents, adult children or other relatives on the same property.
Election 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisParty policies, simplified: Housing
One qualification: a granny flat is not necessarily a solution for a large household. It may provide independence for one generation, but does not necessarily provide enough bedrooms or shared living space for everyone.
3. What about rent, household expenses and buying a home?
These policies matter because the cost of housing affects the entire family budget.
| Party | Relevant affordability measures |
|---|---|
| National | Expand eligibility for 5% deposit First Home Loans by increasing the income cap to $300,000. |
| Labour | 5% deposit home loans, rent-to-buy for eligible public housing tenants, stronger rental protections and additional social housing. |
| Greens | Limit annual rent increases to 2%, build more public housing and strengthen rental protections. |
| Te Pāti Māori | Universal rent control, a vacant-house tax and increased social housing. |
| ACT | Make development easier and allow future rental losses to be offset against other taxable income. |
| NZ First | Prioritise social housing for citizens and increase the share available to seniors. |
| TOP | Land-value tax, low-cost finance for affordable housing providers and universal rent control. |
The property policies: How election 2026 housing promises line upElection 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis
A point worth checking: Rent-control proposals differ in their details. Labour's proposal limits rent increases to once every 12 months, whereas the Greens and TOP propose limits linked to inflation or other economic measures. Te Pāti Māori proposes universal rent control. These are not identical policies.
4. Healthcare and access to essential services
For a household with children and older relatives, a suitable home also needs to be near healthcare, public transport, schools and other essential services.
Some relevant commitments include:
- Labour: Three free GP visits each year for everyone, free prescriptions from July 2027 and additional investment in social housing. Labour's 2026 Election Policies
- Greens: Supports accessible housing, community-based services and removing barriers to healthcare and transport. Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis
- National: Has committed to expanding seniors' housing and improving access to services for older people. Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis
- NZ First: Wants new fast-tracked housing developments to have roads, water, wastewater and other infrastructure in place before approval. Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis
There is an important question here: building more houses does not automatically mean families will have better access to doctors, hospitals or other services.
5. Questions worth asking parties before voting
For your circumstances, I would look beyond general promises to build more houses.
These are useful questions to put to candidates:
- Bedroom numbers: Will you support affordable three-, four- and five-bedroom homes for larger households?
- Multigenerational living: Will you make it easier for grandparents, parents and children to live together while maintaining privacy and independence?
- Housing costs: What will you do to reduce rent, mortgage repayments, electricity bills and other household expenses?
- Older relatives: Will new affordable homes include accessible bathrooms, step-free entrances and single-level living options?
- Healthcare: Will new housing developments be supported by accessible GP clinics, hospitals, public transport and community services?
- Pacific families: Will Pacific communities have a meaningful role in designing housing policies that recognise extended families and collective living arrangements?
6. Where to compare the policies yourself
These resources provide further information:
- Policy.nz – 2026 party policy comparison
- RNZ – Where political parties stand on Pasifika issues
- Labour – 2026 election policies
- CCS Disability Action – Housing and accessibility policies
My suggested framework for assessing the housing policies
Rather than judging parties simply by how many houses they promise to build, consider these five practical measures:
| What matters to your household | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Affordability | Lower rents, manageable mortgages and affordable utilities |
| Space | Three- to five-bedroom homes and flexible layouts |
| Family connections | Granny flats, papakāinga and multigenerational designs |
| Older relatives | Accessible bathrooms, warm homes and single-level options |
| Healthcare | Nearby GPs, hospitals, transport and community services |
The key policy distinction: TOP, Te Pāti Māori and the Greens have particularly explicit proposals concerning multigenerational or intergenerational housing. National has a specific granny-flat proposal, while Labour has commitments concerning social housing and accessible design. These are different approaches, and their actual impact will depend on funding, eligibility, construction and delivery.
Your party vote and electorate vote are both opportunities to consider these issues when choosing who represents you in Parliament.
I can also help you take this one step further by comparing the parties specifically on Pacific family housing, cost-of-living support, healthcare access and support for grandparents living with their children and grandchildren, without recommending which party you should vote for.
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