State Housing waiting lists go through the roof

The waiting list for State Houses has risen by over a thousand in the past three months, says Labour’s Housing spokesperson Phil Twyford.

“Low income people are feeling the sharp end of National’s housing crisis. A shortage of affordable houses is driving people on low incomes into desperate situations. People are  living in garages and sleep outs, staying with relatives, and putting up with sub-standard and overcrowded conditions. No wonder they are queuing up at Housing NZ.

“The figures show that in March 5,204 priority applicants were on the waiting list. In January this year the number was 4,197.

“Sadly, with National having reduced the state housing stock by 700 in the past year, most of the people on the waiting list don’t have a chance of getting a Housing NZ house.

“There is a double whammy  for people on low incomes as LVRs are shutting first home buyers out of the market and they are still looking for rental units.

“The crazy thing is there are 2,975 vacant houses around the country.

“This is just gross mismanagement. Nearly 3,000 state houses are boarded up and vacant. Meanwhile National is selling off state houses and land in privatisation by stealth. No one can now deny this is a housing crisis,” says Phil Twyford .

Figures sourced from the Housing New Zealand website. March 2014 figures can be found at: http://www.hnzc.co.nz/renting-a-house/waiting-lists. For earlier figures please contact Chris Harrington (021) 941 865

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