Housing

Average rent across the country dropped $27 a week in May, compared to last year.

The new homes will be for the descendants of Ngāti Rangi living in the region and those wanting to return home.

Up to 150 social housing homes are scheduled for completion by July 2027.

A youth advocate said the turnout at the hīkoi clearly showed the pain and trauma young people were experiencing.

An advocate says there are at least 140 young people in the city who do not have stable housing - some as young as 11 years old.

Westpac is cutting some of its home loan rates and slightly increasing one other.

Many property owners have seen the capital value of their properties drop in the past week.

A landlord who rented a property that was "never intended for anyone to live in" to his sister-in-law has been told to pay $5900 in exemplary damages.

RNZ understands a deal with Ngāti Rangi that underpinned the project fell over at the last minute.

While standalone house prices are starting to pick up in many areas, growth of townhouses and flats is patchier.

The council says the operation was necessary due to antisocial behaviour.

Mark Mitchell attended a meeting on Auckland's North Shore where social housing, rough sleepers and police responsiveness were flagged as priorities.

Christchurch City Council has wasted years and millions of dollars fighting with the government over housing intensification, a ward councillor says.