Having a roof over your head is a basic right, but being able to afford one is proving impossible.
After the COVID-19 rent freeze was lifted in September, prices across the country shot up 11 percent last year.
National's housing spokesperson Nicola Willis agrees the pricing is outrageous and says they're encouraging the Government to release more space for development.
"They are outrageous and that's why Judith Collins wrote to the PM and said let's fix this with an urgent new law to make it much easier to build new houses," she told The Project on Wednesday.
"Let's cut through the red tape, cut through the planning law, release more space for development and get more houses built."
Willis says it's time for National and Labour to work together and support urgent legislation.
"I'd be the first to say there's lots of things we need to do to address housing. The Mayor of Auckland and Bernard Hickey agree that infrastructure is part of the issue - so does National.
"That's why in Government, we had a billion-dollar fund to support councils with the infrastructure needed for new houses."
When asked whether she supported creative housing ideas such as converting old motel rooms and primary schools into apartments, Willis says that can't be done at the moment.
"I think there are lots of entrepreneurs in the country who are up for big ideas but right now, none of that is possible," she says.
"There's way too much red tape in the way. It's impossible to do innovation like that. National's proposal is to make that a lot easier. Let's see those good ideas come to the fore."
