Phil
TWYFORD

Housing spokesperson

26 August 2014 MEDIA STATEMENT

National gets fast and loose with the facts

In their desperation to make it look as though they are doing something about the housing crisis, National is playing fast and loose, says Labour’s housing spokesperson Phil Twyford.

Claim # 1 – This new package will help about 90,000 first home buyers over five years.

Reality – 50,000 were projected to use the scheme before, they will only benefit if they buy a new home and only 5% of new homes built today are in the affordable range.The new announcements will help only an additional 40,000 people over 5 years.

Claim # 2 – National’s policy says they will insulate another 46,000 homes on top of the 250,000 already insulated.

Reality – The 250,000 includes 12,000 already insulated under the new subsidy programme. They are double counting over 12,000 houses. The 250,000 estimate was made in April. By now there are probably only another 30,000 to be insulated.

Claim # 3- National says it will consent 39,000 new homes over three years in Auckland.

Reality – There is only just over two more years of the accord to go. In the first six months they have only consented 3416. At this rate they will only consent 20,496 over three years.

Claim # 4 – National contrast their consent targets of 9000 consents in Auckland to the average of the four years prior – 3600.

Reality - The 9000 figure is for consented sections and dwellings. The 3,600 is for only new dwellings. Their first year target is actually less than what the market produced the year before which was 9,975.

Claim # 5 – National says they have trialled a WOF on every state house.

Reality – National’s trial is actually only 500 houses around 0.7% of the stock.

“This week National announced a policy that has been panned by the experts, advised against by Treasury and rejected as a failure in Australia.

“They are panicking on housing and are now resorting to misrepresenting the facts.”

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