Phil Heatley MP
National Party Housing Spokesman

12 March 2008

How many HNZ tenants are landlords?

National Party Housing spokesman Phil Heatley has revealed that Housing New Zealand tenants paying market rentals are under no obligation to declare whether they have bought an investment property or a holiday home.

“With around 10,000 needy families languishing on the waiting list, Labour needs to say whether they are comfortable that they don’t know how many of the 6,000 tenants paying market rentals are also landlords.”

Mr Heatley says the revelation was contained in answers to select committee questions. (Attached)

The papers say that ‘there is no requirement for [the 6000] tenants who are paying market rent to declare investments such as interests in properties’.

The papers go on to say that these 6,000 tenants have ‘no legal responsibility to advise the Corporation of… the purchase of an investment property’.

“Why is Labour allowing state house tenants paying market rentals to own a home, and occupy a property which would otherwise go to one of the needy families on the HNZ waiting list?

“National will better use the state housing stock, returning it back to its original purpose of helping those families who are in serious housing need.”

ENDS

Attached: Select Committee Questions – 2 pages. [Word Doc]

© Scoop Media