Large-scale state house selloff ends
The Government has put a fullstop on state house sales, halting a 2500-house transfer in Christchurch.
Making the announcement at the famous first state home in the Wellington suburb of Miramar, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said housing was at the core of her Government’s agenda.
‘‘Our belief is that housing is at the heart of what makes our community strong, and everyone deserves to have a warm, dry and affordable home.’’
Families in 2500 state homes in Christchurch would no longer be switching landlords next year.
‘‘This will stop the transfer of up to 2500 state houses in Christchurch. Tenants in the suburbs of Shirley, Bryndwr and Riccarton had been told they were likely to have a new landlord by mid next year,’’ Housing Minister Phil Twyford said.
‘‘This week they will receive letters telling them their homes will not be sold. I’m pleased these families will be able to enjoy Christmas without the uncertainty this sale would create.
‘‘This was quite advanced. The former government had been in Australia trying to pitch the sale of the state houses.’’
The previous National government transferred thousands of state homes to community social housing providers. Labour heavily criticised the move.
Twyford said if the Government had just built houses instead of shuffling them around, homelessness wouldn’t be as much of an issue.
‘‘The past Government ran down the total stock of state housing by 5000 while they were in office. If instead they had built 2000 state houses a year we would have 18,000 extra state houses and simply wouldn’t have the homelessness problem that we do right now.
‘‘Community housing providers have an important role to play in housing those in need, but the first and last provider of public housing must be the state,’’ Twyford said.
Former social housing minister Amy Adams said the majority of sold-off stock was still used as social housing – and that many were the wrong size or unfit to stay on as social housing.
National leader Bill English said the transformation of badly suited homes would now be slower because all of the work would now be done by one agency.
He said community social housing providers were doing as well as Housing NZ – and in some cases better.
‘‘They get to know their area, their locality and neighbourhood much better, and over time they will do a better job at rebuilding and renewing the housing stock.’’
Twyford left himself some room to sell underperforming stock.
‘‘While this is the end of largescale state housing selloffs, Housing NZ will be rejuvenating its stock by building and buying newer homes where they are most needed and selling houses that are no longer fit for purpose.
‘‘Sales to renew and grow the stock are quite different from the systematic large-scale sales used by the previous government to reduce the role of Housing NZ.’’
Twyford indicated he was not interested in buying back any of the sold state homes.
Vinise Nysee, who lives in the historic home where the announcement was made, said the return of a Labour government made her feel safe in her tenancy.
All three parties in the coalition government campaigned on stopping the sales.