What happened to state-funded care homes?
Jaime G
Labour abandoning its ‘flagship’ pledge to build 100,000 houses at the first hint of trouble is unforgivable. People are suffering as a direct result. Living in cars is unacceptable when it’s due to Government neglect.
Kushlan S
Reply to Kushlan S: People are living in cars because nimbys protest at an infill or social housing project in their area. They forget that some of the homeless are elderly [people] who have never owned property, worked low-wage jobs for decades, or suffered a financial setback through illness, divorce or job loss.
Gina S
Why are those who are young enough to work and pay their own way provided with housing while the more elderly are not?
Phiphi P
It’s very heartbreaking to read these stories.
Nadia D
Labour’s attack on landlords has many casualties. I’ve said to my mum, who is close to the breadline with her rental - look beyond the Labour (and Greens’) landlord-bashing and think for yourself: were you better off when National was in charge, or Labour? The answer was real-world economics. She used to pay $290 per week in 2017 - now $450. A combination of fewer rentals, and added costs - interest deductibility removal being the largest increase to her rent.
She’s always voted Labour - now she’s thinking NZ First.
Jan W
Yes, the [people making] attacks on landlords have a lot to answer for. Many people could contribute by adding to the rental pool by loaning against their home to purchase a rental, thereby saving for their own retirement and providing housing for others at the same time, but disallowing the ability to claim the interest against tax and the harsh tenant-only focused rental laws where it’s nigh-on impossible to remove a bad tenant are just all making it not worth anyone’s while or risk to go down that path anymore.
Linda B
In reply to Linda B: Well said, Linda. This Labour Government and the Greens have caused much worse outcomes for renters with their meddling in the rental market. More unintended consequences - the hallmark of ideologists in office for the past five-plus years.
Richard C
In reply to Linda B: Attack on landlords? You mean legislation to provide livable accommodation? Heating and ventilation and such? Can’t see why interest should be tax-deductible on houses.
Greg S
Shame that the National government flogged off so many state houses. Good to see this is being remedied by the current Government.
Alfred T
Many people are affected by a housing market rising by enormous amounts over the last decade fueled by artificially low interest rates.
Michael R
At what point do people start to realise there is a thing called ‘self-responsibility’?
Where are the families here?
We have become paralysed by our ‘hand-out culture’. Hand-up, yes, but not this continuous dripping of money-spraying [which] now looks more like a flood.
There are definitely some who need genuine help and have been medically or environmentally dealt some hard cards - no one is disputing their need and claim. But there is now a culture of those who just can’t, won’t and now don’t work, expect everything and seem so unbelievably aggrieved if they don’t get it.
We need to look after those who genuinely need help, but the rest need to step up or miss out.
Mark C
In reply to Mark C: Actually many pensioners have never had a hand-out, have worked hard all their lives, paid their taxes, made a contribution to society, all in the belief that they would have a pension that enabled them to live a quiet life after retiring.
They now do not get “a living wage”, or indeed the equivalent of 25 hours per week on the minimum wage.
I would rather look after them than those for whom welfare dependence has become a generational way of life.
Patrick F
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