Heatley: Houses not answer to shortages
new-zealand-labour-party
Wed Jun 29 2011 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Heatley: Houses not answer to shortages
Wednesday, 29 June 2011, 5:27 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Moana
MACKEY
Housing Spokesperson
29 June 2011 MEDIA STATEMENT
Heatley: Houses not answer to shortages
The statement today by Housing Minister Phil Heatley that he doesn't believe building more houses would ease pressures in social housing is of huge concern, says Labour Housing spokesperson Moana Mackey.
“The Minister said that despite the last Labour government adding 9000 houses to the state housing stock, the waiting list only dropped by 2000, and claimed that this proved that building more houses isn't the answer,” Moana Mackey said.
“What he failed to say is that when National was in power in the 1990s it oversaw a fire-sale of state houses and introduced market rents which put even state housing out of reach for many families. When Labour abolished market rents and starting rebuilding the stock, people returned to the Housing New Zealand waiting list in their thousands. That’s why the waiting list remained relatively static despite the housing stock increasing.
“If anything it goes to show that there is a huge unmet need in the community, and that the Housing New Zealand waiting list is not as accurate a predictor of this housing need as the Minister thinks it is,” Moana Mackey said.
“Of course everyone wants category A and B tenants to be housed as quickly as possible and in the last financial year Housing New Zealand housed these highest priority applicants on average within ten days. This was made possible by the constant turnover of state house tenancies which will slow once existing tenants know that if they leave and then want to come back they will go on to a reviewable tenancy.
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“Existing tenants who are doing exactly what the Minister says he wants them to do by offering to move to a smaller or more appropriately sized property will also be considered ‘new tenants’ under the government's changes and will be forced on to a reviewable tenancy. Rather than promoting better use of the housing stock, this will be a major disincentive for people to move.
“While Labour supports initiatives to grow the community housing sector we believe it must be as well as, not instead of, continued state investment. Building more social housing will make a difference, particularly when you consider that we still haven’t even managed to replace the 13,000 state houses National hocked off in the 1990s.
“And if Mr Heatley is serious about growing the third sector he needs to tell us what he will do about last week’s Appeal Court decision upholding the Charities Commission's decision to de-register the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust,” Moana Mackey said. “He was warned about this last year and did nothing. This decision now threatens the viability of community housing trusts – the very people he is expecting to do all the heavy lifting in social housing on behalf of his Government.”
ENDS
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