With Auckland housing ranked "severely unaffordable" in the International Demographia Report for the 10th year in a row, affordability is a key component of the Auckland Housing Accord. 

Put simply, the issue of Auckland's housing crisis stems from supply and demand – the demand for housing is increasing, meaning Council is looking at ways to increase supply. The creation of the Housing Project Office is evidence of Council's determination to address the issue.

So far, 63 Special Housing Areas have been identified across the city which plan to house around 29,000 new dwellings, as part of a total forecast of 73,027 new dwellings that developers are known to be planning over the next 12 years. An important part of planning is the mix of housing. Generally 10% are designed for "relative affordability" (estimated at $439,000*) and 5% for "retained affordability".

The focus here is on building communities, not just houses – social infrastructure, in the form of libraries, schools and small retail businesses – is a fundamental part of making these new areas places where people want to live. Keeping the balance of brown fields/green fields development is vital for ensuring that population distribution is managed effectively, especially when considering the implications for transport infrastructure.

*Using Auckland Council's definition, an affordable dwelling costs 75% of Auckland's median house price, which as of September 2013 was $585,000. This means an 'affordable' house in Auckland costs $439,000.