Of course NZ tops homelessness stats…
A new paper from the OECD has shown New Zealand has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the developed world, with more than 2 per cent of New Zealanders recorded as being homeless by one definition.
That is the highest population percentage recorded of any country in the developed bloc being measured, although New Zealand’s broad definition of homelessness has helped to put it high up.
New Zealand’s figures include refugees and asylum seekers who are looking for temporary accommodation, as well as victims of domestic violence. Most other countries do not include those groups. New Zealand’s data also included children and people living in “uninhabitable” housing.
The paper estimated 2.17 per cent of the population was homeless, by one definition, more than four times the percentage of people in Australia who were homeless, despite Australia and New Zealand measuring homelessness in a similar way.
…the new mechanics of social media polarisation means we are awash in a cacophony of social media wounds where feelings trump reason and fuels resentment politics.
This cruel culture tribalism means the weak and most vulnerable become the whipping boy of every neurotic fraction as culture war bitterness over rides basic common decency.
Some Kiwis are now so politically polarised, they are incapable of acknowledging the suffering of others.
This is the ramifications of hurt feelings politics, you feel angry and social media hate algorithms do the rest.
We don’t care about the homeless and we blame them rather than the commodification of housing.
The most damaged part of this is that the ‘solution’ National are about to embark upon will make things far worse…
Bishop confirmed that Ministers have received a report from former Prime Minister Bill English about Kainga Ora’s financial performance and sustainability.
“Very soon you will see announcements around that… we have received the report, Cabinet is considering it, and soon you will see decisions around that,” Bishop said.
…it will not be a solution, it will be an amputation.
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You have to wonder how independant a government enquiry is when it is led by an ex leader of the same party that commisioned it. Little doubt the findings were pre determined.
I thought the same, they are showing contempt for the voters by expecting us to believe that English is independent & the media would seem to have no memory if they are willing to believe that claim.
English was the one who sold off state houses and demanded the department pay $100 million dividend each year to help balance his loss making books .100 MILLION PER YEAR would have built a lot of houses back when he was pm
Exactly right Gordon….
The’ Double Dipper from Dipton’ reviewing State Housing.
How cynical. .how ironic…how dumb!!
They are going to privatise everything…no doubt about that.
Jenna Lynch TV3 alluded to it in her news item stating something to the effect that
the Government could be looking at …”other ‘actors’ with alternative funding models”.
It won’t work!…Other ‘actors’ want to make profits.. big profits!!
Slippery Key has gone on TV stating that the average house price in N.Z will be around $2.3 million by 2034.
N.Z. has completely lost the plot. Fucked itself big time!!
Indeed. IMO an ex-leader known to manipulate the truth in order to achieve his own ends, as in declaring young New Zealand males unemployable work-shy druggies, to justify importing exploitable immigrant labour to have a low wage economy. A leader who dismissed the “ Hit &Run” report on the NZDF atrocities in the Tirigan Valley as untrue, when most fifth formers would have instantly recognised it’s veracity. A politician caught double-dipping and responded that it was not a good look, rather than recognising that it was wrong. Misogynist who vetoed Moroney’s paid parental leave bill, and denies women control over their own bodies with unwanted pregnancies and bugger all concern about what happens to unwanted children, apart from seeing them little economic units part of a social investment scenario. Yes,Dave, one has to wonder.
I was out trekking in the wilderness after both Stephen Harper and Bull had been tossed from power by their respective countries and came across a Canuck who looked as dodgy as fuck who explained he was part of a delegation who was in NZ along with Harper to carry out secret back room meetings with Bull and his right wing cronies.
Even when these shmucks have been rejected they are scouting around like hyena waiting for an opening.
Why doesn’t Bull just enjoy his later years chasing lambs around the paddock and find solace in the fact he no longer has to destroy our country for his masters.
Aye Bull has a pair of gumboots wired to his paddock fence, suspect they might belong to the Canuck
Wait for Kainga Ora to be privatised
KO is typical of a government run organization. Poorly run and not accountable to anyone under Labour .The money tree was there to make them look good
.They were a poor landlord and the building was done far better by private organizations like Habitat and Salvation Army .
The whole dept should be got ride of and the money spent on helping the private groups.
Charities always place conditions on the help they give to people. For example the Sallies will probably not rent to single mothers, unmarried couples, LGBT’s or atheists.
Yes I see Keys merchant bank freinds are cirleing around unprofitable stadiums in Auckland .I think that is a cover for the upcoming sell off .Why would the be interested in building a loss making stadium that will run at a 100 million lost each year for 40 years .But convieniantly they might be able to buy a major housing provider for a small amount and fleece the poor .Key might even land a job as a director along with max and the two pimps that owned NZs biggest brothel business .Imagine the harm they did to all of their employees .
From the looks of it, the government is going to break up KO into UK style housing associations.
Baby Gerry said the other day, that mass selling of K.O. (THE NEW CORPORATE BUZZ WORD FOR Kainga Ora) a distancing from Maori. Then today our hapless p.m. We WILL NOT BE Selling K.O homes.
This report and others from the selected ex Ministers, and dodgy friend!s, is a shadow cabinet outside the house.A hit squad.
As a former staff member of the old HCNZ, the causes of homelessness and underfunded state/social housing are painfully obvious.
The State Advances Corp was set up to help first home owners build or buy, and first farm owners to do the same. After the first Labour government instituted state housing, that became the third leg of the corpn.
The interest generated from loans funded the housing program. That worked from 1935 till 1985. Then the first ACT government under Lange and Douglas, split off the rural side and sold it off to Fletcher Challenge. The second ACT government under Bolger and Richardson, split off the urban lending side and sold that off too.
That left the state/social housing side entirely dependant on government funding.
Without proper funding, kianga ora was always going to fail. Both the SAC & HCNZ returned a dividend to the taxpayer AND got people into homes, either at 25% rental, or on 3% interest mortgage rates.
Without both sides, lending and rentals, it won’t work in a country with only 5.3 million people. It never will!!!
Until the HCNZ is restored in full, with urban and rural and rentals, NZ will never get rid of high rental properties, nor homelessness, not young ambitious farmers wanting to start out, but not having the support. We need a SAC to get people into homes they can afford and on farms they can afford. The 25% limited rents act as a brake on the unscrupulous landlord system we have at present. The 3% amortized mortgages are needed to pull the Australian banks into line. The 3% rural amortized mortgages are needed to push the speculators off our farmland, and give real farmers a chance.
I remember spending a couple of months in the US years ago. I was really shocked by the beggars. There were whole families living in shop doorways in San Francisco. They were mostly really apathetic, but some of them were a bit aggressive. And I came back here and thought thank Christ I live in New Zealand. And a year later some guy asked me for money on the streets of Petone. We are seeing the result of close to 50 years of neoliberal bullshit – and yes I know I’m stating the obvious, but not enough people are saying it. Particularly in the media.
Unionism, what a loss.
Join the union, cant debt locked too, how kiwi fucked you.
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