Headline: Nick Smith’s ‘no promises’ approach no good
Housing Minister Nick Smith’s refusal to be drawn on the provisions for housing affordability in his Housing Accords Bill, suggests for National, cost and affordability are unrelated concepts, says Labour’s Housing spokesperson Phil Twyford.
“National is in la la land when it comes to New Zealanders’ housing woes. It cannot grasp the severity of the situation for those Kiwis trying to get onto the property ladder.
“The specific purpose of the Government’s Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Bill is to ‘enhance housing affordability’ . Yet Nick Smith refuses to commit to building affordable homes.
“For Mr Smith, affordable housing will be delivered by trickle-down economics. He thinks building more expensive homes will somehow give struggling first home buyers a break. If that isn’t material for a Tui billboard I don’t know what is.
“In Parliament today the Minister refused to respond to the fact that the Property Council, Todd Property, the Salvation Army and the Auckland, Hamilton, Waikato and Tauranga City Councils all told the select committee the bill would not create a single affordable home.
“Nick Smith’s approach is all about creating the appearance of activity without actually building any affordable homes.
“That approach doesn’t wash with New Zealanders and it doesn’t wash with Labour. We have a bricks and mortar solution in KiwiBuild – our plan to build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 years – and are prepared to pick up the hammer and get started.”
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