145 state houses valued at over $1 million
The Labour Government is allowing tenants to live in 145 state houses each worth over $1 million dollars, while another 11,000 families languish on the Housing New Zealand waiting list, says National's Housing spokesman, Phil Heatley.
"Housing Minister Chris Carter misled Parliament last year when he claimed there were only three state houses valued over $1 million – turns out he had been using 'rateable value' figures not the more realistic 'market valuations'."
In Parliament today Mr Heatley revealed that documentation he received from Quotable Value show there are 145 state houses valued at more than $1 million.
"It is extraordinary that Mr Carter claimed that even a property valued over $1 million was still a valid state house under a Labour Government.
"What makes this doubly unpalatable is the number of ordinary, working New Zealanders who will have no chance of owning a home worth even a fraction of the ones offered to state house tenants at a substantially subsidised rate.
"I would like to know how he can justify any state house tenant, let alone 145 of them, occupying houses worth that sort of money when the waiting list is so long.
"If each of those properties worth a million-dollars-plus were sold the Government could purchase state house accommodation for three times that number of struggling families, even at Auckland prices.
"We all support state house tenants having clean, comfortable and affordable accommodation. What we resent is the utter waste of taxpayer's resources.
"Housing Minister Chris Carter misled Parliament last year when he claimed there were only three state houses valued over $1 million – turns out he had been using 'rateable value' figures not the more realistic 'market valuations'."
In Parliament today Mr Heatley revealed that documentation he received from Quotable Value show there are 145 state houses valued at more than $1 million.
"It is extraordinary that Mr Carter claimed that even a property valued over $1 million was still a valid state house under a Labour Government.
"What makes this doubly unpalatable is the number of ordinary, working New Zealanders who will have no chance of owning a home worth even a fraction of the ones offered to state house tenants at a substantially subsidised rate.
"I would like to know how he can justify any state house tenant, let alone 145 of them, occupying houses worth that sort of money when the waiting list is so long.
"If each of those properties worth a million-dollars-plus were sold the Government could purchase state house accommodation for three times that number of struggling families, even at Auckland prices.
"We all support state house tenants having clean, comfortable and affordable accommodation. What we resent is the utter waste of taxpayer's resources.