National’s housing policies putting kids’ health at risk

National’s refusal to ensure our houses are warm, safe and dry is putting our kids’ health at risk, the Green Party said today.

An investigation by the New Zealand Herald revealed today that 20 Kiwi kids die from preventable respiratory illnesses caused by cold, damp housing every year.

“Kids are dying because they’re living in cold, damp housing. We need to fix this now,” said Green Party social housing spokesperson Marama Davidson.

“National’s repeated refusal to put in a mandatory rental warrant of fitness is putting further lives at risk.

“Māori and Pasifika kids die at twice the rate of NZ Pākeha from preventable illnesses. The very poor are fourteen times more likely to die.

“National have halved funding for rheumatic fever this year despite failing to reduce rheumatic fever rates by two-thirds.

“These children are dying because their families are poor and their housing is cold, damp and unhealthy.

“The Green Party will stop at nothing to help our tamariki – we will end poverty in New Zealand by mending the safety net, put in a mandatory housing warrant of fitness and restore funding Warm Up NZ to ensure warm, dry, healthy housing for all,” said Ms. Davidson.

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