Property, Power and Poverty

Property, Power and Poverty examines power and inequality through the lens of Aotearoa-New Zealand’s housing crisis, situating it within broader global patterns. Property, Power and Poverty examines power and inequality through the lens of Aotearoa-New Zealand’s housing crisis, situating it within broader global patterns.Since the Great Financial Crisis (2007–08), rising housing costs, inadequate supply, and deepening wealth disparities have become critical issues in capitalist democracies. Drawing on a case study of Aotearoa-New Zealand, this book demonstrates how elite networks across politics, finance, media, and policy sustain a distorted housing market that privileges landlords, investors, and property owners while exacerbating social and economic inequalities. By focusing on the intersections of political economy, housing policy, media and elite interests, this book provides a nuanced analysis of the systemic causes behind the housing crisis. It reveals how financialisation, rentier capitalism, and deregulation have transformed housing from a basic human necessity into a speculative asset. Through engaging case studies and extensive empirical research, this book offers readers fresh insights into the structural conditions that fuel housing inequality. Policymakers, students, and the public will benefit from its exploration of alternative approaches to housing reform and market regulation.Written for academics and non-specialists alike, this book is grounded in a three-year funded study involving 80 elite interviews, audits of ministerial diaries, Rich Listers, lobbyists and political donations, economic data, extensive media content analyses, and housing policy reviews. Its interdisciplinary approach bridges sociology, political science, media and economics, making it a valuable resource for those studying housing, inequality, or elite power structures. While thoroughly researched, the accessible writing style ensures its findings are useful for scholars and practitioners alike, contributing to critical debates on housing justice and political reform.