State house sell-off makes no sense: MP

High resolution image. 3d rendered illustration. Three houses and dollar symbol.

SELLING 48 state houses in Gisborne during “a housing crisis” makes no sense, says Meka Whaitiri, Labour MP for Ikaroa-Rawhiti.

According to the Social Housing Register, at the end of March there were 79 vacant Housing New Zealand houses in Gisborne. Of those, six were ready to let, 12 were being repaired, 11 were contaminated by methamphetamine and two houses were categorised as “other”. Another 48 are described as “pending sale”.

“Six houses ready to let when there are over 80 people on the waiting list clearly shows we have a real supply issue,’’ said Ms Whaitiri. “This would have been known to the Government when they first came to power. So selling state houses when we have a clear housing crisis makes absolutely no sense.”

Maori Party criticismMs Whaitiri also criticised the Maori Party for its stance.

“With the number of Maori households waiting for homes increasing by more than 20 percent in the past year, it’s time the Maori Party admits its support of the Government’s state house sell-off has made life worse for whanau.

“At the end of June, there were 1648 Maori or whanau waiting for homes (around the country). This is 100 more than the previous quarter and a whopping increase of 21 percent on the 1355 Maori wanting to be housed last June.

“Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox, in late 2014, called National’s plans to sell off state houses ‘disappointing’ and an abdication of Government responsibility. Yet just three months later, the Maori Party changed its mind and voted with National to flog them off. It was a disgraceful move, especially in the middle of a housing crisis.

“Maori homeownership has plummeted, and more and more whanau are in desperate housing situations. The Maori Party’s support of National has harmed our people.”

Ms Whaitiri said Labour’s comprehensive housing plan includes building more affordable homes.

“We will end National’s state house sell-off and stop using Housing New Zealand as a cash cow. And whanau camping in cars or in garages will be helped into temporary accommodation through extra funding to emergency housing providers,” she said.

Methamphetamine contaminationLast month, Ernie White and Becs Sexton from law firm Nolans, and Lyndsay Ball of Chem Dry Chemical Commercial Cleaning, told The Herald the number of houses contaminated by methamphetamine appeared to be on the increase. The problem occurred not just in state houses but in homes across the price spectrum, and in both the city and the countryside, they said.