Many Londoners live in apartment blocks, and so should we, writes Ken Fortune.

We're asking our readers how they would solve the housing crisis. Ken Fortune shares his ideas.

The way to fix the housing crisis is to supply large numbers of living spaces quickly by building multi-story apartment blocks.

On the face of it, this sounds horrible, but just before you write off this idea, consider that big cities the world over house their residents in apartment blocks.

Think London, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, New York. We don't think of these places as horrible dives.

Apartment blocks can be dull, featureless and anti-social, or they can have character, social-friendly features such as communal areas, playgrounds, 'village' spaces and interior shared spaces.

READ MORE:

* Practical solutions to solve the housing crisis

* Averting New Zealand's approaching financial crisis

* House prices climb $3K a week, rising at fastest rate since 2004



There is a lot of knowledge how to build people-friendly apartment complexes these days. Extra consideration given to what would work in New Zealand society.

Apartment blocks mean large numbers of people can be accommodated in a small land area.

Auckland is struggling to find spare land and it's a long way from centres of employment, meaning crazy amounts of daily commuting. Increase the population density and you reduce the total daily people-commute-miles. Higher density reuse of existing residential land will house many more people without increasing the footprint of the city.

Build the complexes around public transport stops (train stations, near ferry terminals, on main bus routes) and less cars will be needed.

The apartments would need to be a mixture of small, cheap units and larger family units. The idea is to provide a lot of spaces quickly and cheaply to drop the pressure on the housing market. Reduce the pressure of the market and prices will stop rising.

Some apartments need to be purchasable, some rentable. Some need to be provided as subsidised social housing.

Many units can be single-room bedsit or studio rooms, very basic like a motel room. Simple to live in, simple to clean or renovate, very basic trappings so very cheap to repair.

Units should be fireproof, with sprinklers. If one unit catches, whole building isn't compromised. Concrete lined, soundproof, painted walls. Easy to decontaminate if tainted with P. Rot-proof and hard for tenants to do serious damage to.

Some units should be suitable for those less experienced at living in houses, and some suited to the mobility-challenged.

They should be central-heated, double-glazed and well insulated with car parks underneath.

Not everyone aspires to or currently wants to be in the Kiwi dream of a house of a quarter-acre section. Not everyone wants their own garden and lawn to maintain, house to keep painted, garage, etc.

The building's should have nearby shops, laundromat and on-site rubbish collection.

The idea is to provide bulk accommodation, not individual houses, at very affordable prices, quickly.

Cater for the lower socio-economic people first as they have the greatest need, least addressed by housing market, but also suit middle-income people.