Government fails to lead housing debate

new-zealand-labour-party

Thu Jul 21 2011 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Government fails to lead housing debate

Thursday, 21 July 2011, 1:56 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

Moana MACKEY
Housing Spokesperson
21 July 2011

Government fails to lead housing debate

While housing affordability and New Zealand’s housing shortages are important issues for debate, building trailer parks in Auckland is not the answer, says Labour’s Housing spokesperson Moana Mackey.

Commenting on a suggestion by Auckland Councillor George Wood, Moana Mackey said: “People living in caravan parks or motor camps are actually defined as homeless in New Zealand. We would never suggest a garage as appropriate for a family to live in, so why should a trailer be? We need to do more than simply strive for a better class of homelessness for our families.”

The comments highlighted the on-going issue of a shortage of social housing in New Zealand, she said. “We are still playing catch up from the fire-sale of 13,000 state houses in the 1990s and yet National has said they don't believe we need any more social housing.

“National has no vision and no plan for social housing or housing affordability. This should come as no surprise given John Key said earlier this year that he did not believe we were facing a housing shortage, and personally vetoed the building of 500 state houses in the Hobsonville development in his electorate.

“Then in June Housing Minister Phil Heatley said building houses wasn’t the answer to social housing shortages, before dumping thousands of people off the state house waiting list.

“Compare this to the Australian Government which implemented a $5 biliion multi-year economic stimulus package which saw nearly 20,000 properties added to their social housing stock and more than 80,000 upgraded. This package also kept skilled tradespeople employed and businesses in work. In contrast our residential building sector is experiencing the deepest recession since records began.

“No wonder so many skilled Kiwis are moving across the Tasman. Our government has been asleep at the wheel.

“The debate on adequate housing needs strong leadership from central government and unfortunately National has pulled up the ladder on Kiwi families.

ENDS

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