On the fifth day of Christmas, let's build new warm, healthy state houses

On the fifth day of Christmas, the Green Party today proposed building 6,000 new state houses in the next three years in response to the Government’s announcement yesterday that it intends to push people out of state housing.

“Forcing people in state houses to move regularly is a step in the wrong direction. It will hurt the education and employment outcomes for these already vulnerable people, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said.

“We know that making people move, forces kids to change schools and stops people participating in their communities. The solution to New Zealand’s housing crisis is not pushing people out of state homes.

“Safe, secure, healthy housing is fundamental to the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities. Everyone living in New Zealand deserves housing that is suitable for their needs.”

“There is a vast disparity in the standard of housing available in this country. This is both a symptom of increasing inequality, and a key driver of social and health problems.

Mrs Turei said the Government’s response yesterday to the recommendations made by the Housing Shareholders Advisory Group was disappointing and was likely to make housing problems worse, not better.

“Building 6,000 new state houses in the next three years would create about 28,000 jobs and help to find homes for the 10,000 on the state housing waiting list.

“Along with investing in community housing and making it easier to stay in rental accommodation long-term, building warm, dry, insulated state houses is one of the solutions on our Christmas wish-list that would guarantee the essentials for our kids, and narrow the gap between the haves and the have-nots,” Mrs Turei said.

Each working day between now and Christmas, the Green Party is highlighting a key issue related to inequality, and presenting Green solutions to those issues.

On the 'sixth day of Christmas' on Monday, the Green Party will focus on child health in response to the release of the updated Children’s Social Health Monitor.