The research was commissioned by Community Housing Aotearoa (CHA) and conducted by Sense Partners economist Shamubeel Eaqub.
It analysed house price data in the Queenstown Lakes district between 2008 and 2016, focusing on houses within a 150m radius of an affordable home provided through inclusionary zoning policies and compared them with other houses in the area.
Inclusionary zoning requires new developments to provide a component of homes for low- to middle-income earners.
Queenstown Lakes was selected for the research because the area had used a suite of tools in recent years to deliver retained affordable housing — inclusionary zoning being one.
The high-level scoping research looked only at the impact affordable housing had on neighbouring house prices.
It showed there was "no significant variation" and the benefits "clearly" outweighed the risks.
Community Housing Aotearoa (CHA) chief executive Scott Figenshow — formerly Queenstown Lakes District Council’s senior policy analyst — said some people opposed to the inclusion of affordable housing in new developments had argued it would bring down the price of the rest of the neighbourhood.
"On the other hand, some argued that it makes the other homes more expensive.
"This research shows that both of these fears are unfounded."
Despite many believing New Zealand was "different", Mr Figenshow said the finding was consistent with similar research carried out in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
He said CHA was keen to promote an "evidence-based debate" on the tools which would ensure all New Zealanders were well-housed and that there were "many further questions" which could be explored from the research.
Mr Figenshow said the work was based on a "loose 5%" of affordable housing in new developments.
"Five percent hasn’t been enough to meet the need, but also, 5% didn’t make the sky fall.
"So, if other people wanted to pick it up [they could] look at how much could you do?
"Could you do developments that have a third social, a third affordable and a third market? What would that look like?
"We hope others will pick up that opportunity."
Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust executive officer Julie Scott said it had assisted 139 households to secure homes since April 2008 — 110 of those were in the trust’s shared ownership scheme, seven in the rent saver programme and 22 as affordable rentals.
On Sunday, the trust will celebrate its latest 44-lot development at Shotover Country.
While the number of properties to date was "not nearly enough" to satisfy the present demand, they had played an essential part for high need and working families, who were an integral part of the community, to remain in the district, Ms Scott said.
"As a trust, we have been able to match the $14.4million in land value that came from new developments, with $4.8million grants from the Crown.
"This has grown now to $28million invested in homes throughout the district, recycled and retained long term."
