Budget 2025 makes clear that the Coalition Government has no long-term plan to help communities most in need of public housing.
“This Budget treats housing like a game of monopoly, where a select few get homes while others are left out in the cold,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Housing, Tamatha Paul.
"By cutting more money from social and transitional housing, the Māori Housing Programme and emergency housing, this Government for landlords has abandoned all hope of solving the housing crisis.
“The callous decision to completely scrap emergency housing is paired with scaling down the long-term solutions of public housing. It’s clear this Government simply doesn't care about people forced to sleep on the streets.
“When we hear the Minister talking about housing the ‘right people’ you know the Government is only looking out for a select few. Everybody needs housing - nobody can live a meaningful, fulfilling life without it.
“We need to ensure everyone has a home, but the Government has pulled the pin on large-scale public housing projects by Kāinga Ora that would have made a big dent in the backlog of people waiting for homes. This includes homeless whānau, people living in tents and those in overcrowded homes. Now families are left prey to the market which has more interest in profit than well-being.
“Public housing is as vital as public health and public education. It’s a human right – one this Government is denying.
“Under our Green Budget, we would build 35,000 new public homes in five years to clear the public housing waitlist and ensure everyone can live in a warm, healthy home because we don’t believe anybody should be left on the street.
“The housing crisis in Aotearoa is spiralling out of control amid rising poverty and homelessness. But instead of fixing it, the Government is making excuses. It’s time to empower Kāinga Ora to build big, and build fast,” says Tamatha Paul.
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