A former Prime Minister's backing the view that large-scale government housing ownership like Kainga Ora is problematic.

A report by The New Zealand Initiative finds the Government's ownership of 77,000 state houses, has maintenance costs nearly twice that of a private landlord.

It finds it also doesn't respond quickly enough to issues like rent arrears, and troublesome tenants.

Sir Bill English told Mike Hosking his independent review panel into the agency found similar issues.

He says the point of social housing is to improve the lives of the tenants, so it means focusing on the people,  and who owns the houses,  is less important.

LISTEN ABOVE