Leaky Homes First

New Zealand First Housing spokesperson Brent Catchpole has called on the Labour Government to direct some of its newly-discovered budget reserves at the thousands of homeowners who are suffering financially and health-wise as a direct result of having to live in leaking and rotting homes.

“Labour claimed that there was no money in the purse when New Zealand First promised to raise superannuation but has given the lie to that with its interest-free loans for students,” said Mr Catchpole.

“Meanwhile the owners of leaky homes continue to wait for the woefully slow and under-resourced Weathertight Homes Resolution Service to deal with their claims.

“New Zealand First will:

- provide the Department of Housing and Building with the regulatory powers and resources to address the issues raised in the 'leaky homes' crisis, including the provision of sufficient adequately trained and experienced assessors to facilitate the process;

-amend the Weathertight Homes Resolution Service Act 2002 to ensure claimants can recover legal costs; and

- immediately review the Weathertight Homes Resolution Service to a) improve its use of resources, reduce red tape, and speed up the claims process b) amend its assessment processes and clarify the treatment of 'potential' damage, and of liability and c) consider access to short-term finance facilities to allow urgent remedial work on leaky homes and the fast tracking of straight forward claims.

“The least this Government can do while it is distributing largesse is to provide the resources required to smash down the logjam of claims and provide resolution for the long suffering owners,” concluded Mr Catchpole.

ENDS

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