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Kerre Woodham discussed our report "Owning Less to Achieve More" on Newstalk ZB, which advocates for housing vouchers instead of state-owned housing. Woodham endorsed the report's findings that government housing vouchers would empower vulnerable tenants by giving them choice in landlords, whilst highlighting the report's criticism of Kāinga Ora's high maintenance costs and inefficient management. Read more

Wellington (Thursday, 16 October 2025) - Why does the government need to continue owning or managing more than 77,000 housing units, given its poor track record in this area, especially when state assistance can be provided without extensive government ownership? And why does it not release more land for housing? Read more

Dr Bryce Wilkinson talked to Ryan Bridge on Newstalk ZB about his report finding that operating Kainga Ora's 77,000 state houses costs twice as much as the private sector. He argued for transferring state housing to community housing providers or tenants themselves, citing international examples and emphasising the need to empower tenants with more housing options. Read more

Mike Hosking discussedour new report on Newstalk ZB with Rt Hon Sir Bill English, who contributed the foreword to the report, which finds that Kāinga Ora's 77,000 homes cost taxpayers twice as much as the private sector and advocates for greater tenant choice of landlord. Sir Bill, who previously led the independent review of Kāinga Ora, explained that smaller-scale housing providers of around 5,000 homes demonstrate better economies of scale and tenant outcomes than Kāinga Ora's centralised model. Read more

Nick Mills discussed our report "Owning Less to Achieve More" on Newstalk ZB, which proposes selling state homes and replacing them with rent vouchers for tenants. Mills explored the report's findings that Kāinga Ora's maintenance costs are nearly double those of private landlords, and highlighted Sir Bill English's view that the focus has shifted away from tenants towards the houses themselves. Read more

Dr Bryce Wilkinson talked to Wallace Chapman on RNZ's The Panel about the our report "Owning Less to Achieve More", which proposes housing vouchers for state housing tenants as an alternative to direct government ownership. Dr Wilkinson explained how vouchers could empower tenants through provider choice, similar to the pre-school education model, while panellists Sue Bradford and Dean Hall debated the importance of housing stability versus addressing inefficiencies in the current system. Read more

Nick Clark talked to Ryan Bridge on Newstalk ZB about improving local government voter turnout and council effectiveness. He argued that smaller, more localised councils with stronger mayoral powers and better accountability mechanisms could increase engagement, pointing to Switzerland's model of thousands of local government units as a potential alternative to New Zealand's consolidation approach. Read more

Nick Clark talked to Jack Tame on Q+A about the record-low voter turnout in local elections, arguing councils need stronger mayors, better funding tools, and freedom from central government interference to restore public engagement. He advocated for incentive-based funding mechanisms like GST sharing on building consents while expressing concerns about the government's proposed rates capping, warning it could lead to infrastructure deficits and higher debt. Read more