Wao Podcast: How to solve a housing crisis, hundreds of homes at a time.

If you’ve ever spent time worrying about affordable housing, leaky homes, independent living for the elderly, the cost of building, the cost of renting, the barriers to owning a first home and associated topics, you’re not alone. Believe it or not, this interview provides the answer to all of these issues - and more.

Sam Stubbs is the co-founder of Simplicity - one of New Zealand’s fastest growing KiwiSaver plans. What you’re about to hear from Sam is positive and utterly encouraging. Simplicity is a nonprofit Kiwisaver and Fund Manager that gives 15% of all fees to charity and invests with a conscience. What Simplicity is doing under the leadership of Sam and his colleagues, is remarkable.

Simplicity aims to provide 10,000 homes for rent, currently building at a rate of 1,000 homes per year. Their homes are built to last 150 years, using durable materials like brick and concrete, and are priced at $550,000 each.

Simplicity's model is vertically integrated, reducing costs by 30-35% and offering long-term tenancy. They also provide low-cost mortgages, saving borrowers an average of 1% annually.

Buckle in for some answers to the housing crisis!