Books

Research and Policy

We Call It Home:

In 2005 - the centenary of state housing - Dr Ben Schrader's book We Call it Home - A History of State Housing in New Zealand was published.

Commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage and with the support of Housing New Zealand, the book captures the human story of state housing and its contribution to national life.

It reflects upon the people who have lived in state homes, their experiences, the development of state housing design, the changing needs of tenants and the perceptions of state housing neighbourhoods over the years.

You can find out more about the book at the NZHistoryNet website.

We Call It Home is available at most booksellers.

State Housing in New Zealand:

State Housing in New Zealand text by Cedric Firth, illustrations selected by Gordon F Wilson.Published by the Ministry of Works, Wellington. This captures state housing in 1949. It is filled with floorplans and photographs.

Forword:

Housing is to-day a major issue. This is as true of New Zealand as it is of most other countries. Probably never before have so many houses been wanted so quickly. And perhaps never before has the problem been so complex.

The close connection between happiness, health, and housing needs little proof, and one of the principal tasks of the next decade should be the provision of a decent house for every family in New Zealand. This is a huge job, but when planning is followed by action on the part of Government and private industry there is a reasonable chance that the objective will be reached.

This report owes its origin, in the main, to the inquiries received from overseas and local sources concerning the activities of the Housing Division of the Ministry of Works.

This rare book has been scanned and broken down into six sections:

Other books on state housing:

You can also find historical information on state housing in Building the New Zealand Dream, by Gael Ferguson (ISBN 0-86469-191-2).