As national elections loom in New Zealand, boosting the country’s housing stock is becoming a major battleground issue, according to stuff.co.nz. While both major parties agree more affordable housing is needed, their solutions differ. The Labour party’s approach is the government funding of 100,000 homes over the next ten years, while the National party, now in power, is proposing 39,000 homes in and around Auckland stimulated by private builders. The Labour party is especially interested in modular housing because of its lower cost and faster production techniques. Its plan is to sell the homes once they are produced. However, both plans may hinge on the availability of developers, many of whom are still busy in Christchurch where the Feb., 2011 earthquake demolished thousands of homes, as MHProNews March 21, 2011.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia–earthquake in New Zealand, Feb. 2011)