12. TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West) Link to this
to the Minister of Housing
What recent announcements has he made regarding the Government’s Housing Innovation Fund?
Hon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Housing) Link to this
Recently I announced five projects that will see $3.4 million be used from the fund for the 2010-11 year. Those projects will help to provide 21 new properties in South Auckland, Tauranga, Nelson, and Tāmaki for New Zealanders on low to moderate incomes, or with special housing needs. Another project will benefit Māori directly, with 5 new affordable rental properties being built on the Chatham Islands through Māori Demonstration Partnerships.
The fund encourages partnerships with community housing organisations. It is about making the taxpayer dollar go further and building roofs for families that are struggling. It is part of the Government’s commitment to increase the quantum of social housing. I am currently looking at ways that we can change the Housing Innovation Fund to make it even more attractive to third sector participants.
Moana MackeyIs the reason he has done nothing substantial in 2½ years to address the ever-worsening housing shortage in New Zealand—apart from taking credit for good Labour Government initiatives such as the Housing Innovation Fund—that, like the Prime Minister, he does not believe that New Zealand is actually facing a housing shortage?
It is fair to say the general public know we have streamlined the Resource Management Act to make resource consenting easier, and streamlined the Building Act to make building consenting easier. We have made it very, very clear that the most important thing to New Zealanders, when it comes to housing affordability, is actually mortgage interest rates, which have remained flat to low under this Government. They have not soared to 9, 10, or 11 percent, which is what they were under the Labour Government.