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Social media and the 'Housing Market'


Housing is a big topic in Aotearoa. Whether it’s about finding, owning, fixing, buying, selling or not having one, we all need some kind of home. The issue of homelessness has been on the rise. According to the NZ Herald (2016), “between 2006 and 2013, the rise in homeless people outstripped population growth. New Zealand's population grew by 4.8 per cent over this period, while the number of homeless grew by 25 per cent”. And what’s happening here in NZ is reflected in other developed nations. As stated in a report on homelessness by OECD.org (2017) “homelessness has increased in recent years in Denmark, England, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and New Zealand, but fallen in Finland and the United States”. Research into homelessness in New Zealand by the University of Otago, (2016) found that “homeless increased significantly over the past decade. Based on the most recent three Census rounds, in 2001 there were 28,649 homeless, 34,000 in 2006, and 41,207”. With these statistics in mind, it seems that economic development is no real measure of social development.

It’s not surprising that Kiwi’s are somewhat aghast and befuddled by this. On one hand, housing and accommodation is seen as a necessity (a bit like air, food and water) and on the other hand, housing has become a market. Conversely, the ‘housing market’ is something dreamt up by corporations to remove ethical limitations to the necessity of housing as a requirement to societal welling in my opinion. Comical satirists Clark and Daw, produced a skit about neoliberal marketism and made a mockery of its nonsensical rationalisation to undermine the society which markets require to exist.

It appears we’ve become quite opinionated on the topic of housing and where better to unleash it than Facebook? Social media platforms act like a release valve, either just to vent also to question and reform ideals. Below, Facebook posts point the finger the previous National Leader John Key. Well, it’s Sir Dr John Key these days. Sir Dr Key or Teflon John as he’s been affectionately referred to by news media has only one regret. That Kiwi’s didn’t buy into his scheme to replace the flag and has no beef with people living rough on the streets.  



Other National Party members also cop some flack on this issue and fair enough too. Below, Paula Bennett gets the beat up about housing issues and things get kind of personal.



Facebook allows public expression and helps to inform about what’s important to us and our ‘friends’. How successful this form of public communication is at creating change remains to be established. The saying “a problem shared is a problem halved” comes to mind. By sharing and commenting on the social and environmental issues we face, communities become engaged with the problems and possible solutions. And that’s what freedom of speech and democratic process is all about.

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