Upcoming and Recent Events

Homes for Good Housing Forum May 2026

On a chilly May evening over 60 Kapiti residents braved the cold to attend a lively discussion on key housing issues affecting our rapidly growing district.

Homes for Good hosted the event as part of their strategy to bring the housing issues of Seniors in Central Kapiti to the public’s attention, particularly in an election year where housing is of concern to many people.

Community groups working in the housing space had been invited to submit questions in advance, and had the opportunity to put them to an invited panel which finally, after much to-ing and fro-ing consisted of:

Andy Foster  M.P.                        NZ First Housing spokesperson

Melody Willis                          Green Party list candidate 

Sophie Handford                          Labour candidate for Kapiti

Bob Mason                   Opportunity candidate for Keneperu

Martin Halliday                             Deputy Mayor KCDC

Chris Gaudel, Deputy CEO of Community Housing Aotearoa, gave an excellent introduction to both national and local housing demographics and the impacts of inadequate housing particularly for younger and older people, which segued into the discussions that followed, ably guided by MC Robin Gunston, Secretary of Homes for Good.

Questions covered the growing local homelessness issue (St Vincent de Paul), the lack of Public Housing (Public Housing Otaki), incentivising provision of 1 and 2 bedroom houses for Seniors (Greypower), provision of land by mandating Inclusionary Zoning (CHA), how to change the structure of the rental market (HomesforGood), what policies will make for a sustainable construction sector (local builder) and finally should NZ adopt common oversees practices of 200-400% rating of empty houses (HomesforGood).

Judging by the applause that greeted some of the statements made from the panel Opportunity and Greens appear to have thought of some good housing policies and Labour are fielding a strong candidate for the Kapiti seat.

Several housing petitions were also available for attendees to sign - Public Housing Kapiti and Doors to Dignity.