While MP Dover Samuels' attempts to improve substandard housing in Northland can be commended, the reality is that his efforts will not solve the problem, said ACT's Whangarei based housing spokesman Dr Muriel Newman.

"With many hundreds of substandard houses in the North, providing 13 homes using relocated abandoned army houses, is not in itself enough. The problem is too big for any government to solve by itself.

"Real progress in closing the housing gaps will only come when homeowners take their own initiatives, as many are already doing. For example it is surely not too much to ask homeowners to install smoke detectors ' they don't cost a great deal these days, in fact less than a packet of cigarettes.

"The reality is that it is the responsibility of homeowners to ensure the basic safety of themselves and their family. While I applaud the efforts of Dover Samuels, I would encourage him to remind everyone, including community leaders, that solutions do not solely rest with politicians: it is people themselves who have a much greater influence on their immediate circumstances than any government ever can," Dr Newman said.

ENDS

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