12. MOANA MACKEY (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Housing
Does he believe that all New Zealanders should have access to appropriate and affordable housing?
Hon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Housing) Link to this
Yes. As I have stated repeatedly in the House, this Government is committed to assisting those New Zealanders most in need.
Why is he axing the Housing New Zealand Corporation’s shared-equity scheme from tomorrow, given that before the election he promised to continue it at least until his still-unfunded Gateway Housing scheme was available?
The shared-equity scheme was a Labour scheme. It was a 2-year pilot that promised 550 homes to new homeowners; over the 2 years it delivered 30 homes. We considered that the pilot did not work.
Does he think the low uptake of the shared-equity scheme might have something to do with the fact that, according to the Housing New Zealand Corporation’s Senior Communications Adviser, Michelle Williams, the corporation was told after the change of Government to stop promoting the scheme?
Yes, it would be fair to say that this Government decided we would not spend millions of dollars on advertising that could be spent on homes.
Are tax cuts still National’s No. 1 policy for addressing housing unaffordability; if so, can he confirm that this year’s tax cuts are meant to compensate for an increase in GST, cost of living increases across the board, rent increases, and, now, housing unaffordability, and how far does he think someone on the minimum wage can stretch $3 a week?
Certainly, delivering more people more money in their back pockets after a day’s work is part of the policy of addressing housing unaffordability, because it gives them more money to pay off their mortgage or pay their rent, and to make a whole bunch of choices. It is better than a shared-equity scheme that was supposed to deliver 550 houses, but ended up delivering 30 houses.
Rahui KateneWhat priority has the Minister given to assisting Danielle Koveskali of Tītahi Bay into appropriate housing, and what action will he take to address the fact that she has had to wait for more than a year for the Housing New Zealand Corporation to address the mouldy State house she lives in, even though Danielle, who has renal failure and is on dialysis, has been told by her doctors that she must be moved for the good of her tenuous health?
I understand that the Koveskali family is on a high-priority list to be relocated to another 4-bedroom property. However, the family has declined properties that have been offered to them in the past as they considered that the properties did not meet their needs. That is fair enough and that is their decision, but the Housing New Zealand Corporation can offer them properties in the area only as they become available, and we will certainly be doing so.