How New Zealand's much-admired COVID-19 response helped fuel a housing crisis

Murray Edridge, the head of Wellington City Mission, who helps desperate families and individuals seeking food and shelter, poses for a photo in Wellington, New Zealand, in this undated handout photo. Wellington City Mission/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - For many, life in New Zealand's capital Wellington is largely back to normal. Its windswept streets are crowded with maskless shoppers and office workers, bars are packed and the economy is humming along.

In the distinctive "Beehive" parliament building, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her government have garnered lavish global praise for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic where many other leaders failed.