Government Policy Statement on Housing and Urban Development (GPS-HUD)

Last updated: 25 August 2025 The Government Policy Statement on Housing and Urban Development (GPS-HUD) sets a direction for housing and urban development in Aotearoa New Zealand. It was developed alongside MAIHI Ka Ora – the National Māori housing strategy. The GPS-HUD and MAIHI Ka Ora will be implemented side by side.

Consultation open now for the draft GPS-HUD 2025

Consultation for the updated GPS-HUD is open now and closes at midnight on 21 September.

Submissions can be made using our online form or by downloading the consultation questionnaire and emailing it to hud_gps@hud.govt.nz.

The draft GPS-HUD, a link to our online consultation questionnaire and a downloadable copy of the questionnaire are available below.

Draft Government Policy Statement on Housing and Urban Development 2025

The vision 

The GPS-HUD’s vision is that everyone in New Zealand lives in a home and a community that meets their needs and aspirations. 

The four main things it sets out to achieve are: 

An adaptive and responsive system 

A housing and urban development system that is integrated, self-adjusting and delivers in response to emerging challenges and opportunities. 

Land, infrastructure, development and construction markets that are responsive to demand, well-planned and well-regulated.  

Place-based investment, with central and local government working with partners in places to identify and deliver the best mix of public and private initiatives and services.

Decision-making supported by excellent evidence and data.

Stable, affordable, healthy homes

Housing that is affordable and has stability of tenure, whether it’s rented or owned.

People able to choose where they live and what type of home they live in.

People with enough money left over after housing costs for other things they need.

The quality, accessibility, size and features of homes support people and families to be healthy and productive.

People in greatest housing need get the support they need, and homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring.

Māori housing through partnership 

Māori and the Crown working together in partnership to ensure all whānau have stable, affordable, healthy homes. 

Māori housing solutions led by Māori and delivered locally, with Māori able to utilise their own assets and whenua. 

Active Māori participation in the system through partnership with the Crown to invest in and support housing solutions.

Thriving and resilient communities 

Development aimed at creating towns and cities that have abundant housing and well-functioning physical and community infrastructure.

Transport that gets people where they need to go quickly and efficiently.

Towns and cities that are resilient to natural hazards, help reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate.

Communities that drive economic growth and support businesses to grow.

 How we're going to achieve it 

The Government has five key priorities intended to set us on the road to achieving the outcomes:  

  • Going for Housing Growth – getting the fundamentals right, to target the underlying causes of the housing shortage and putting the right conditions in place to increase the supply of appropriate land for housing.
  • Reforming the resource management system – removing red tape and green-lighting infrastructure and housing development.
  • Resetting investment to help those most in need – taking a deliberate, evidence-based approach to housing investment that will make the biggest difference for people in need.
  • Improving efficiency and competition in building and construction – making it cheaper and easier to build.
  • Improving rental markets – incentivising investors to increase the supply of rental housing.

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