Greens Slam National Public Housing Reforms

The Greens say the Government’s latest public housing reforms are not about efficiency or sustainability — they are about extracting savings from some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the country while the cost-of-living crisis spirals further out of control.

The Green Party is warning that the Government’s changes to public housing will see more public housing tenants evicted and driven deeper into poverty.

“Luxon’s Government has built on their despicable pattern of finding ‘savings’ in their budget from the empty pockets of the poorest people in New Zealand,” says Green Party Housing spokesperson, Tamatha Paul.

“They are balancing their budget on the backs of pensioners, beneficiaries and disabled people who rely on public housing.”

Higher rents will push vulnerable tenants deeper into crisis

“Increasing rents by 20% on top of unaffordable food costs, power bills and medical bills is simply cruel.”

“Ironically, they say they want to limit time spent in public housing, yet these changes mean that these tenants will never be able to leave, nor should they have to.”

Green Party Social Development and Employment spokesperson, Ricardo Menéndez-March says, “Cutting Temporary Additional Support will leave more people struggling to survive.”

Cutting support while costs explode

“Temporary Additional Support is a lifeline for people who cannot make ends meet otherwise. To restrict this support is to prevent people from meeting ongoing, essential living costs.”

The Green Party in government will build tens of thousands of quality, affordable public homes, and ensure affordable rents for all public housing tenants.

Tamatha Paul says, “We recognise that in New Zealand, and indeed in many countries, public housing is a crucial part of making sure housing is treated as a human right.”

“It should not only be for the most in need, but for anybody who would like to access it because of all the benefits it carries for all of us.”