The sun goes down on Auckland as it approaches Earth Hour, March 27, 2010.
The sun goes down on Auckland as it approaches Earth Hour, March 27, 2010. The Earth Hour, when everyone is asked to turn off lights for an hour from 8.30 p.m. local time, is a show of support for tougher action to confront climate change. Viaduct Harbour is seen in the foreground, the Sky Tower at right. Reuters/Nigel Marple

Auckland households have been found to be overcrowded with more than one family sharing a single roof, according to an ABS report.

The ASB survey surprisingly found that Auckland households accommodate 35 percent of New Zealand’s population into 30 percent of the nation’s residential establishments. ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley said that it was surprising to see more than six people using one household for accommodation.

Over half of households with two-family accommodation are found in Auckland across the nation. Around 70 percent of all three-family households are in Auckland, but the number of such establishment is quite low. On an average, three people per household are allowed in Auckland houses, which limits that to an average of 2.7 in other places.

It is, however, noteworthy that Auckland has remained one of the fastest growing real estate regions for accommodation of six and more in households between 2001 and 2013. Tuffley claimed that this was not the right time to conclude whether Auckland had a housing shortage. He added that there had been “circumstantial evidence” that indicated shortage of affordable housing for lower income groups across New Zealand.

The report suggested that the type of houses differ in Auckland compared to the rest of NZ. The dense population of the city makes an increasing number of joint accommodations available and accessible for residents in Auckland. The report discovered that more number of residents in each household depicted a lower median household income.

Across the city, the Waitemata and Gulf ward witnessed the lowest crowd in households with 2.5 people residing under one roof, while Manukau ward had 3.9 residents on average per household.

Auckland is an ethnically diverse city, the report found. “Also interesting was the diverging trends in house vacancy rates between Auckland and the rest of New Zealand,” Tuffley stated.

The report also indicated the number of empty houses was declining compared to the other cities, where the numbers were at hike.

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