The intentions of parental financial support for housing in New Zealand: altruism, obligation, and reciprocity

This study explores what motivates parents to financially support homeownership for their adult children. We apply the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to examine the effects of the identified motivations on their support behaviour. Drawing on data from a representative survey of New Zealand, this study finds that parents’ intentions to provide housing support are motivated primarily by concerns about their children’s challenges in entering the housing market and a deeply altruistic desire to enhance their well-being. Their intention also stems from internalised norms of responsibility and expectations of strengthening family bonds. However, our findings reveal a discrepancy between higher intentions to provide support and actual large-scale financial behaviour, influenced by parental homeownership, location, and life stage. We argue that there is a complex interplay of housing wealth accumulation and welfare regimes in shaping family support norms. This research is crucial in ongoing debates about intergenerational housing wealth transmission and family practice.