The Status Of Lone And Partnered Women Seeking State Housing Assistance In Two New Zealand Cities.

Women householders living alone or with children have been identified as one of a number of marginalised groups within the housing markets of Western cities. An extensive literature suggests that many such women are likely to experience discrimination, poverty and inadequate housing. In this paper we review the status of lone women parents in New Zealand housing policy as a prelude to reporting on the housing experiences of a sample of applicants seeking state housing assistance in Auckland and Christchurch. The samples, drawn from the waiting lists of the (former) Housing Corporation of New Zealand (1989-90), included both women with partners (n=50) and women living alone or with children (n=119). The lone women were slightly poorer, they had less access to private transport, and they reported higher levels of residential mobility. However, these women reported that the physical condition of their housing was significantly better, and characteristics of the neighbourhood such as safety and proximity to friends were more important influences on their housing satisfaction than for partnered women. We conclude that lone women appear to make more demands on their neighbourhood, and more often seek housing assistance from the state for reasons of refuge than is the case for partnered women. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]