23 August 2017 The Green Party in Government will end the slum-like renting conditions exposed in the People’s Review of Renting by Renters United and Action Station, the Green Party said today. “With nearly half of New Zealanders renting, the grim findings of the review are a wakeup call about the true state of rentals in this country. Too many renters are festering in slum-like conditions under the thumb of landlords who have largely unchecked powers and ignore tenants’ complaints...

The Salvation Army’s report Taking Stock: The Demand for Social Housing in New Zealand, released today, confirms that the National Government’s policies have been a driving factor in creating the housing crisis, the Green Party said today. The report shows a net decrease of state housing stock by Housing New Zealand from around 69,000 in 2009 to 67,282 in 2016 (including Tamaki Regeneration houses). The Green Party’s own analysis of a Question for Written Answer shows that Housing NZ only...

Many New Zealanders are increasingly struggling to pay for the roof over their heads, according to the latest overview of poverty trends, the Green Party said today. New Zealanders on the lowest incomes are now spending 51 percent of their income on housing, up from 29 percent in 1990, according to the latest Bryan Perry Household Incomes Report out today. “Housing costs are eating into families’ budgets at a rate we’ve never seen before,” Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said...

Paula Bennett's frank admission this morning that the Government should have “in hindsight” taken action on the housing crisis sooner will be of little comfort to the growing number of people who are waiting to get into a state house, the Green Party said today.

The Green Party has a plan to build hundreds of state homes to help deal with the emergency housing crisis facing thousands of vulnerable New Zealanders right now. The Green Party plan would allow 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 homes. Despite New Zealand being one of the wealthiest countries in the...

Our Home for Life plan will help New Zealanders get into their own homes by establishing a rent-to-buy programme and by creating new opportunities for community housing providers to play a bigger part in solving the housing crisis. This will give more New Zealanders a fair shot at owning their own home – even when the market is stacked against them – and make sure the community housing sector has the financial and political support to help solve the housing...

With 3,422 people urgently waiting for a place to live and 1,805 empty state homes, New Zealand is heading into another winter of homelessness under National, the Green Party said today. “Last winter New Zealanders were shocked at the extent of homelessness and after a year of the National Government rushing around trying to look like it’s tackling the problem, things are actually getting worse,” said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei. “The tragic truth that we’re hearing from the people...

Raising the Accommodation Supplement could push rents up as more than a billion dollars flows from the Government’s accounts to landlords over the next few years, according to official advice from the Treasury and DPMC, the Green Party said today. In a report to the Prime Minister from the last time National considered raising the Accommodation Supplement, officials advised that ‘There is a risk that the increased subsidy will lead to an increase in rents.’ This is because landlords may raise...

After years of denying there is a housing crisis and refusing to see government building as a solution, National’s U-turn today is too little too late, the Green Party said today. “Auckland is already 40,000 homes short and needs 15,000 more a year just to keep up with population growth. National’s new policy to build an additional 26,000 homes over the next decade just isn’t enough to fix the problem,” Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said. “It’s taken until election...

Tenancy rules need updating to give families more stability to put down roots in their communities, the Green Party said today. Data released today from the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study highlights that almost half the children in the study live in rental homes. Renters tend to move more than home-owners, which can make it hard for families to plan for early childhood and primary education. “Families need housing stability so they can put down roots in their...