Housing shortage on Waiheke Island

The high cost and low supply of rental homes on Waiheke make it difficult for island residents to find healthy and affordable long-term housing.

There has been no investment in social housing on Waiheke for over 30 years. Higher living costs, reliance on ferry travel and a shortage of available and suitable housing is causing:

  • long-term residents to move off the island
  • increased deprivation
  • an increase in residents who are dependent on support, such as from food banks
  • businesses to struggle finding staff.

There are currently about 6000 dwellings on Waiheke. Over 1000 of these are used as holiday rentals.

2019 housing strategy

Waiheke Local Board first adopted a housing strategy in 2019.

Download the Waiheke Local Board Housing Strategy 2019-2021 [PDF 426KB]

We have used community feedback to update this strategy as part of the Waiheke Local Board Plan 2023 [PDF 4.3MB].

Our updated housing strategy

Most factors that affect housing costs are outside the local board's control. Our updated housing strategy focuses on realistic ways we can help to:

  • improve housing supply
  • make housing more affordable.

Goals of the strategy

We want to make sure that all residents have access to safe and healthy housing. This is a ten-year strategy that we will review every three years.

To do this, we aim to provide:

  • more affordable long-term housing
  • appropriate development that reflects local needs
  • improved quality of housing
  • fair access to housing for all residents.

To achieve these goals, we will:

  • support community partners and programmes that focus on providing healthy and affordable long-term homes for residents
  • encourage the local housing market to prioritise long-term accommodation
  • advocate to the council and government for housing developments that fit the character of Waiheke
  • support the housing needs of mana whenua and mataawaka Māori
  • work with relevant agencies and non-government organisations to provide more social housing.

What we want your feedback on

The housing crisis on Waiheke risks the island losing its unique character. We want to do everything we can to prevent this.

We want your feedback on our updated housing strategy.

We want to know:

  • what you think we have got right in the strategy
  • what you think we need to do better.

Download the Draft Waiheke Local Board Housing Strategy 2024-2034 [PDF 1.6MB]

How you can have your say

To give your feedback you can:

Auckland Council
Attention: Waiheke Housing Strategy
Freepost Number 190198
Private Bag 923000
Victoria Street West
Auckland 1142.

When you can have your say

You can have your say from 12 noon Monday 28 April until 11.59pm on Wednesday 28 May 2025.

What happens next

We will include the feedback in the Draft Waiheke Housing Strategy. Local board members will discuss any changes to the draft and adopt a final strategy at a local board business meeting on Wednesday 23 July 2025.

Local board members will use this strategy to help guide ways to improve housing for all residents on the motu.