The contribution of promotional communication to the housing crisis in Aotearoa-New Zealand

This article focuses on public and policy discourse around housing; an issue relevant to human rights and social inequality. Growing homelessness conflicts with the human rights charters that most democracies adhere to, and huge disparities in homeownership are central to increasing levels of inequality. The study draws on critical media sociology and political sociology to explore how promotional communication has contributed to a housing crisis of homelessness, unaffordability and debt in Aotearoa-New Zealand. It presents findings from a mixed-methods research project, documenting several key actors and their promotional practices in public media and private policy discourses on housing. The study shows that two forms of promotional activity have contributed to the growing housing crisis. The first, a more standard, routine form of practice, has both encouraged ever-rising prices (and debt) while also redefining housing as investable assets rather than a basic human right. The second, a more strategic form of political communication, has influenced public policy towards more market-oriented rather than state solutions to such crises, thus exacerbating both homelessness and inequality. This second form is illustrated with a case study of the last Labour Government (2017–2023) and its failed attempts to push through state-led initiatives, tax changes and regulations.