State Houses, Or State Castles?

New information on the rental cost of some Housing NZ properties dispels any question of why some tenants are reluctant to leave State housing - who wouldn't want to live in an $823,000 home for less than $60 a week? ACT New Zealand Housing Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman said today.

"Answers to my written Parliamentary Questions have revealed that Housing NZ is leasing four properties, in Auckland alone, each worth more than $700,000 for less than $80 a week," Dr Newman said.

"Tenants would have to be crazy to move when they pay only $59 a week for an $823,000 home, $78 or $69 for a $731,000 home, and $40 for a $719,000 home. This, however, will not be a problem - the Government's track record on hospital waiting lists and long-term social welfare shows that it is not big on time limits.

"Labour has removed any incentive for these beneficiaries to move into meaningful employment. While it would take them years to be able to buy a similar property under their own steam - if ever - under Labour they can choose to live in such a property for life.

"State welfare should be hand-up for those in genuine need. Under this Government, however, welfare has become a generous hand-out - now it seems that State housing has become a way for some beneficiaries to have a higher standard of accommodation than many of the taxpayers who support them," Dr Newman said.

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