House prices keep rising across New Zealand and banks are unable or unwilling to fund new affordable homes in Auckland, the Green Party said today. “The big Australian-owned banks are pulling back on lending to the very types of projects that can provide the most affordable homes in our cities,” Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said. “The market can’t and won’t solve the housing crisis by itself – that’s why New Zealanders need the Government to step up and build...

Unaffordable housing is pushing teachers out of Auckland, with grim consequences for schools and students, the Green Party said today. Information released to the Green Party by the Ministry of Education shows the number of teachers leaving Auckland rose from 255 in 2015 to 390 in 2016, and principals and teachers are seriously concerned about the issue. “Teachers work hard and are so important to their communities, they need to be able to afford a home of their own in...

With new data showing building consents for new homes are trending down, the Government must do the responsible thing and step up to build more affordable homes, the Green Party said today. “We have a serious housing crisis and it’s time for new thinking to solve it,” said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei. “National might talk big when it comes to housing, but the numbers don’t lie. Simply not enough new homes are being built for all the people who...

The Green Party has today welcomed Wellington City Council’s proposed social and affordable housing plan as an example of how to help solve the housing crisis. “This is the kind of affordable house-building project that could and should be happening all over New Zealand, not just in the capital – but we need central government leadership to get the scale of building needed to really make a difference nationwide,” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw. “On Wellington City Council, the...

Housing Minister Nick Smith is already backtracking on Bill English’s suggestion he’d provide 69,000 homes in Auckland, as house prices continue to skyrocket across the country, the Green Party said today.  “The Government is fudging the numbers to create headlines they can’t back up. Meanwhile, house prices keep rising and not enough are getting built,” Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said. “There’s a huge opportunity for the Government to step up and build thousands of affordable homes for people across...

Bill English’s state of the nation speech today lacked vision and leaves New Zealanders with a stark choice about the kind of government they want, the Green Party said. “The new Prime Minister didn’t talk about the housing crisis, or stagnant wages, or polluted rivers and lakes. These issues aren’t going to go away – in fact, it’s now clear that the only way to fix them is by changing the Government,” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw. “New Zealanders...

Rising house prices are hitting teachers hard in the pocket, the Green Party said today. New analysis by the Green Party shows that houses are “severely unaffordable” for many teachers in all but two regions of New Zealand (see table below). Most teachers are returning to the classroom this week following the summer break. “National’s housing crisis is impacting many New Zealanders, including those who play a vital role in keeping our communities running, like teachers,” said Green Party Co-leader...

Incoming Prime Minister Bill English should make a commitment to all New Zealanders that he will do what John Key refused to – build more affordable homes, close tax loopholes for property speculators, and end homelessness, the Green Party said today. The median Auckland house now costs $851,944 and the median house price nationwide is now $520,000, a new record high, according to data released today by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ). “Bill English needs to make...

The Government is actively seeking overseas buyers for 2,500 state homes in Christchurch, the Green Party said today. Government officials are hosting an invite-only session for potential investors in Sydney next week. “It’s bad enough that National is selling our state homes out from underneath some of our most vulnerable New Zealanders, but now they want to sell the land to overseas investors too,” Green Party social housing spokesperson Marama Davidson said. “National used to say its state house sales...

News that National’s Auckland Housing Accord is likely to miss its target for the number of homes actually built shows that new ideas under a new Government are needed to fix the housing crisis, the Green Party said today. The Housing Accord’s three-year target of 39,000 new homes and sections is reportedly likely to fall short by around 1,000, with just 7,000 actual new builds in the last year, according to Radio New Zealand. “The Housing Accord was National’s flagship...