Officials cast serious doubt over the effectiveness of the Government’s housing package in the months before its announcement, questioning whether it would increase the supply of housing and outlined its dire impact on the lives of renters, National’s Housing spokesperson Nicola Willis says.

“The advice from officials shows the package wouldn’t make a difference to the supply of housing, instead they would likely increase rents. All of which was evident to National when the Government announced its package.

“The Government panicked and turned to rent controls as the potential answer. Rent controls would have a chilling effect on our housing market, they would discourage investors from building new homes and therefore increasing the supply of housing.

“First home buyers are predominantly renters, any measures that drive up rents only serve to make it harder for first home buyers to put together a deposit, further locking them out of the market.

“Building more houses is the most important action for addressing our housing shortage and delivering for first-home buyers.

“National has a plan to require every major city and town to immediately remove restrictions locking-up land and stalling intensification, while also giving councils the cash injections they need to deliver a much-needed surge in new house building.

“What the advice from officials shows is the Government is more interested in PR spin and fancy announcements than putting forward policies that will make a positive impact on those shut out of our housing market.”

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