The Green Party is today challenging the Government to tell New Zealanders how many new state houses will be created by its sell-off of our current state housing stock to overseas interests, as Prime Minister John Key appears confused about what the sale is supposed to achieve.
“John Key said again today on Morning Report that the state-house sell-off is going to create more ‘social houses’ for Kiwis to live in, and that the sale of 400 to 500 homes to an Australian organisation could provide funding for affordable housing developments,” said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei.
“John Key seems totally unaware of the purpose of his own state house sell-off: Is it to generate funding for affordable housing developments in Auckland, or is to provide more social housing for vulnerable Kiwis? He can’t have it both ways.
“The National Government is launching head-first into its grand state house sell-off without having first worked out how many more houses are needed, or where they’re going to be built.
“Selling thousands of state homes will never lead to more people being housed unless more homes are being built to replace them – and so far we’ve not seen a concrete plan to make that happen.
“The most efficient way to provide more homes for vulnerable Kiwis is for the Government to build them. It already owns 68,000 homes and the land they’re on, and can borrow cheaply.
“The National Government’s ideological opposition to owning state homes is getting in the way of the best solution for Kiwis.
“Flicking off our state homes to the Aussies, at bargain-basement rates, is miles away from providing a solution and building more homes for Kiwi families,” said Mrs Turei.
