Tony Ryall

National Housing Spokesman

11 August 2000

Gosche needs reality check

It's doubtful whether the Government's Housing policy will do anything to stop overcrowding in communities like South Auckland, National's Housing spokesman Tony Ryall said today.

Mr Ryall was responding to research linking meningococcal disease with household overcrowding.

"There is absolutely no certainty that lower State house rentals will fix the problem. In fact, official papers suggest that families renting in the private sector are likely to become even more desperate and live in even worse housing conditions in an attempt to get further up the waiting list for a State house.

'The majority of low-income families in South Auckland rent from a private landlord, not the State. The Government's policies forget about that. All of Mr Gosche's work is focussed on two thirds of State house tenants.

"Mr Gosche's discriminatory Income Related Rents policy won't do anything to reduce overcrowding. It will just make it worse as New Zealand families clamour to become one of the lucky few to get a State house.

"Mr Gosche is still trying to blame everything on the previous National Government. Overcrowding has existed since the 1980s and will continue to exist. None of Mr Gosche's policies will do anything to fix this. He admitted today that no extra State houses have been built since he became Minister," Mr Ryall said.

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