Greens welcome launch of Te Ohu Tāmaki and challenges other parties on housing

The Green Party is welcoming the launch of Te Ohu Tāmaki, and affirms its commitment to clear the social housing waitlist in 5 years - and challenges other parties to say they will do the same.

“The commitment of Te Ohu Whakawhanaunga is to build a broad alliance that will think differently about how we grow community voice and power is something the Green Party is 100% on board with,” says Marama Davidson.

“We especially acknowledge the commitment to improving housing for everybody in Aotearoa. We know that even for those on decent incomes, high rents and poor quality housing can mean people struggle to pay the bills, and face cold damp winters.

“Right now, those on the lowest incomes spend too much of their income on rent. Many families also struggle to put down roots in communities because they have to constantly move to manage rising rents. This isn’t good enough in a country as wealthy as Aotearoa.

“The Green Party is committed to clearing the social housing waitlist in 5 years, and we challenge other parties to do the same. Our housing policy would deliver 35,000 new warm, affordable, public houses over the next five years. This would mean that everyone would have a safe, warm, dry place to call home.

“The current state of housing in Aotearoa is no accident. It is because of the decisions of successive governments that have not prioritised people, and instead let the rental market more closely resemble a game of monopoly than a public good - and it is landlords who hold all the cards.

“The solutions are as clear as they have always been: controls on rent increases, a rental warrant of fitness, and thousands more new homes in places people want to live. In the first 100 days of a new government, we will introduce a new Renters’ Rights Bill to give effect to these changes.

“Plus, everyone needs a decent income. Our Income Guarantee will ensure no one's income ever falls below $385 per week, no matter what happens.

“We know how to make life better for people, and ensure that homes are safe, healthy, affordable, and warm. Everything we need to make life better for people in Aotearoa exists. What’s missing is the political willpower to use it,” says Marama Davidson.

Latest Housing Announcements

Story

CPI figures show rents continuing to soar

Stats NZ has confirmed that higher rent prices were the biggest contributor to the annual inflation rate. Almost a fifth of the 2.2 per cent annual...
Read More

Story

Landlord govt finds new way to undermine public housing

Proposed cuts to Kāinga Ora reflect a failure to fully commit to fixing the housing crisis.
Read More

Story

Rising rents continue to inflict hardship on households

Statistics released today show that rents have increased at 4.3 per cent compared to the same period last year. This comes after last month’s 4.8 p...
Read More

Story

Green Party sends open letter to PM on renters’ rights

The Greens have launched an open letter calling on the Prime Minister to respond to the rental crisis. 
Read More

Story

Renters suffer as soaring rents feed rising inflation

The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent...
Read More

Story

Government must build more public houses, not find excuses to sell them

The Green Party says the Government must use the review of Kāinga Ora as a platform to build more homes, not an excuse to sell them off. 
Read More