12. RAHUI KATENE (Māori Party—Te Tai Tonga) Link to this
to the Minister of Housing
What steps is he taking to address the reported decline of homeownership rates amongst Māori, with the proportion of Māori who own their home having fallen from 61.4 percent in 1991 to 45.2 percent in 2006?
Hon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Housing) Link to this
We are taking a number of steps that will help the general population and will also help Māori first-home buyers, such as streamlining the Resource Management Act and the Building Act to make building cheaper, reducing taxes so there is more take-home pay to service a mortgage, and keeping interest rates under control through better Government spending when interest rates might otherwise rise as the economy recovers. We are also speaking to a number of iwi and hapū groups and the Māori Party about how the Housing Innovation Fund can help and how papakāinga housing can be advanced.
What advice has the Minister received from his officials to account for the significant increase in the proportion of Māori in rental tenure from 38.6 percent to 54.8 percent?
I have seen the report called Maori Housing Trends 2008. Māori have been hit by the same challenges as other New Zealanders who have found that property prices and rents have got out of reach in recent years. However, I am aware that this has been exacerbated for Māori, in particular, because they often need larger—and therefore more expensive—houses, which are more costly to rent.
How will the Minister respond to the recent qualitative research on Māori housing experiences that found that rural renters are more often exposed to poor property conditions, lower levels of maintenance, and less choice?
What the member says is true. In fact, many of the rural renters were renting State houses that were in a seriously dilapidated condition because the Labour Government decided to spend depreciation funds on acquisitions. The renters have been living in smelly, damp, disgusting conditions, and that is why the National Government will do up those houses. Furthermore, we are working with Māori housing providers on upgrades, providing papakāinga housing, and advising Māori on how they can access the Housing Innovation Fund.