Storm resilience of New Zealand housing and the implications for older people – Preliminary study

Abstract New Zealand is susceptible to a wide range of natural hazard events. The response of dwellings to these adverse events is critical to both the resilience of whole communities and the individuals within them, with older people being particularly vulnerable when homes are damaged or destroyed. Older people are defined as those 65 years and older. In New Zealand, most older people are owner-occupiers and they must therefore confront the tasks of making good their dwellings and dealing with insurance companies after an adverse event. This research investigates just how vulnerable older people are in adverse natural events, through the examination of both physical and functional aspects of their dwelling, compared to those dwellings owned by the general population. The data from the 2010 House Condition Survey (HCS) by BRANZ (an independent research, testing and consulting company providing resources for the New Zealand building industry) provided an opportunity for a preliminary examination of this, in particular the resilience of the New Zealand dwelling stock in the context of storms and weather-related adverse events. An assessment was then made of the vulnerable features of housing inhabited by the general population compared with those 65+. It was found that older people do not appear to be substantially or systematically more exposed to dwellings with less resilient designs, materials or amenities. This paper identifies some additional questions to the existing HCS that will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of households’ storm-related resilience in New Zealand.