23 October 2007

People living in sheds only the tip of housing crisis iceberg

Green Party Housing Spokesperson Sue Bradford is saddened but not surprised by reports in this morning's Dominion-Post newspaper, of people living in sheds because they can't afford to live anywhere else.

"Many people in many different parts of New Zealand are living in totally substandard, unsanitary and insecure accommodation. What really shocked me was that the gentleman referred to in the Dom-Post article was actually paying $100 a week for the privilege," Ms Bradford says.

"The poor sanitation and fire risks involved in such arrangements should surely mean that the Residential Tenancies Act is being broken, along with a number of other laws and regulations.

"People living in these kind of situations should be eligible for immediate assistance from Housing NZ Corporation," Ms Bradford says.

"However, the waiting lists for state housing are still far too long - at around 11,000 households - and the Government should be doing more to build, lease or buy sufficient accommodation to meet the housing needs of people like those brought to public attention this morning.

"At the same time, I don't believe that the official waiting list reveals the true extent of the chronic housing needs around the country right now. I continue to see and hear of people and families living not only in sheds, but also in caravans, tents, garages, old barns and completely dilapidated houses in conditions that most New Zealanders would find simply appalling.

"When it comes to housing we continue to have far too big a gap between the haves and the have nots. The Government should be taking the problems of unaffordable, substandard and inadequate housing a lot more seriously than it does.

"The Green Party believes that we should accelerate the acquisition and building of state houses and invest a lot more into third sector and local Government social housing initiatives, among a whole raft of other solutions to our current housing crisis," Ms Bradford says.

ENDS

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