Greens launch state house solution to housing emergency

The Green Party today announced a plan to build hundreds of new state homes to help house New Zealanders who are living in cars, garages or on the streets.

The Homes Not Cars policy allows Housing New Zealand to retain its dividend and, in addition, would refund its tax, freeing up $207 million in the next financial year to spend on the emergency building of around 450 new state houses.

“We have a housing emergency in this country, happening right now, and our plan is an urgent, direct response to it,” said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei.

“This plan isn’t the silver bullet for our housing emergency, it’s just the start, but the bottom line is we need the Government to build more state houses, not sell them off, or pretend the problem doesn’t exist.

“It’s shameful that in a wealthy country like New Zealand we have so many people sleeping in cars, in garages and on the streets.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. The Government has the power and the money to ensure every New Zealander lives in a warm, safe, dry home – it just lacks the will.

“It’s ludicrous that we have around 4500 people on the Housing New Zealand waiting list but Housing New Zealand is forced to prioritise paying the Government millions of dollars in dividend and tax.

“All of that money could and should be put towards building state homes and housing vulnerable Kiwi families – the Government just needs to make it happen.

“The housing crisis is felt hardest by people who have the least. We need the Government to prioritise finding a home for people who have nowhere to live.

“People living in garages, in cars and on the streets is not the kind of country most New Zealanders recognise or want.

“We need the Government to show some compassion and common sense, and build more houses for our most vulnerable New Zealanders to live in,” said Mrs Turei.

Volunteer

The Greens are proud to be driven by passionate people like you. Today we need your help to take action on the biggest issues facing New Zealand.

Action

Save Auckland's Climate Budget

Sign the petition to stop Mayor Wayne Brown's proposal for dangerous cuts to climate and environmental programmes that protect us from extreme weat...

Action

No New Mines 2023

Action

Expand Voting

Now more than ever, young people in Aotearoa are impacted by Government decisions, and they deserve to have a say. We are calling on all Members of...

Action

End Intensive Winter Grazing

Sign the petition to Labour Ministers, to move faster in bringing regulations into force and end intensive winter grazing.

Action

Trains for Climate

Add your name to our open letter urging the Minister for Finance Grant Robertson to save our passenger trains between Wellington, the Wairarapa and...

Action

Healthy Oceans 2022

Join our Healthy Oceans Crew to help us keep the health and protection of our oceans high on the Labour Government’s political agenda.

Action

It's time: A Ministry for Rainbow Communities

Join our call asking the Prime Minister to establish a Ministry for Rainbow Communities that can champion Rainbow issues.

Action

No new mines on conservation land

Sign the open letter asking Labour Ministers to stick to their promise of banning new mining projects on conservation land.

Action

Allow community ownership of our buses

Public transport is an essential service and helps to tackle the climate crisis by reducing our carbon emissions. But there are barriers to communi...

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Housing Announcements

Story

Greens join call for immediate rent freeze after floods

The Green Party is joining more than 20 community organisations to call for an immediate rent freeze in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, after reports of ...

HRC report shows need for more action on housing

The Green Party will continue pushing for change to ensure people don’t need to access emergency housing in the first place.

Healthy Homes for all means a WOF and Landlord Register

The Government’s decision to exclude landlords from property management regulations means more than half of Kiwi rentals will be left out in the co...

Crown closes the door for Waimana Housing programme

The Green Party is calling out the Government for its role in Te Waimana Kaaku whānau losing their deposits and the homes they were promised.

Greens back HRC call for immediate rent freeze

The Green Party backs the Human Rights Commission’s call for an immediate rent freeze followed by reform of the rental system to guarantee that eve...

Budget 2022: Greens celebrate landmark investment in climate action

Landmark week for climate action concludes with climate budget Largest ever investment in climate action one of many Green Party wins throughout B...

Story

Let’s build better, warmer, and climate-friendly

The Government must take steps to ensure that the way we build our homes is helping to meet New Zealand’s climate change targets, the Green Party s...

Sustainable buildings and warm dry homes

Everyone has the right to a warm, dry home. Instead, housing in Aotearoa often makes us sick from damp and cold. In Aotearoa, much of our housing s...

National would rather save landlords some cash than look after sick kids: Green Party

The National Party is more concerned about the back pocket of property investors than sick kids and the elderly, Green Party Co-leader Marama David...

Stop charging homeless people for emergency housing

The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop sending homeless people into thousands of dollars of debt with the Ministry of Social Develop...

Green Party: Building code out of date and won’t ensure warm, dry homes

In response to calls for a compulsory energy rating for buildings the Green Party is renewing calls for the building code to take better account of...

Green Party calling for bold steps to tackle issues in Salvation Army report

The Green Party agrees with the Salvation Army that bold new steps are needed to stop a worrying trajectory of increased rent rises and homelessnes...