Council Housing Action Group

26th March 2002

A long standing council tenant will speak this evening at the beginning of the Auckland City Council meeting. John Banks has finally given Peter Cross permission to speak. The Mayor's refusal at the last Council meeting on 13th March prompted the first of 17 arrests on that occasion when the Council agreed the now imminent sales programme for its remaining residential housing stock.

John Banks could have used his discretion, as stated in the Council rules, to allow Peter to speak on the 13th. The Mayor is now only 'going through the motions', as the decision has already been made to sell the homes. They will go on the open market as soon as the Annual Plan process is finished at the end of June. The meeting will however agree to sell the first 12 vacant residential properties outside the Annual Plan process, ie immediately.

Peter will be referring both to the residential and the pensioner housing stock. Although the sale of the residential housing is imminent and intended to be relatively quick, the fate of the Council's pensioner units is for a slow and stressful demise. Auckland needs more, not less, affordable, secure and decent rental accommodation. Peter will be calling for a referendum on these unpopular, heartless and anti-social decisions.

The Council meeting starts tonight at 6pm, 2nd Floor, Town Hall.

ENDS

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