State housing slashed as rents forecast to rise

Rents are forecast to rise so it makes no sense to slash the budget for state houses as John Key’s Government has just done, said the Green Party today.

The budget for improving and buying state houses has been cut by over 80% from $120 million to $18 million. There is no money for new state houses, and the funding to make existing houses liveable has been slashed.

“Vulnerable New Zealanders are already struggling to get access to decent housing. There are over 10,000 people on Housing New Zealand waiting lists, and John Key, who grew up in a state house, has decided that they do not matter,” said Green Party Co-Leader Metiria Turei today.

“Access to decent housing is a basic human right, and it has a huge impact on people’s health and their educational and employment prospects. These budget cuts will make an already desperate situation worse for many struggling New Zealanders. It is not fair and it is not right.

“John Key’s Government has also gotten rid of all the funding for housing for Auckland pensioners.

“This attack on the most vulnerable people in our society will make inequality worse in our already highly unequal society. All the research shows that inequality makes things worse for everyone, not just those on the bottom.

“One way to address inequality is to ensure that everyone has access to decent housing. This is why investing in state and community housing are key parts of our Mind The Gap package to address inequality that we announced on Monday.

“Under a Green Government we would have 6000 new state house over the next three years which would created 28,000 jobs, and mean healthy warm homes for people who need support.

“Instead of addressing inequality, John Key’s Government seems committed to making it worse under the false and unproven rationale that this will somehow benefit our society," said Mrs Turei.

For more information:

Mind the gap - Green New Deal initiatives to combat growing inequality in New Zealand - http://www.greens.org.nz/mindthegap

ENDS

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