16 December 2009
Media Statement

Heatley at odds with Housing NZ over housing policy

Housing Minister Phil Heatley is at odds with his Chief Executive of Housing New Zealand Lesley McTurk over the Government’s policy to extend Labour’s Welcome Home Loan scheme to Maori multiply owned land, says Labour’s Housing spokesperson Moana Mackey.

“Back in August the Minister announced the policy, claiming credit for ‘solving” the issue of lending for house builds on multiply owned land. He reaffirmed this today in the House, claiming that the policy was in place and available, although he couldn’t say how many homes had been built under the scheme.

‘However last week at the financial review of Housing New Zealand, Chief Executive Lesley McTurk, when asked about the extension of Welcome Home Loans to Maori land, said that while the concept was “still alive”, Housing New Zealand had “yet to work through the detail of the policy work”

“When asked whether she could provide a timeframe for when these details would become available, she could not, stating it might be sometime in the first quarter of next year,” Moana Mackey says,

“It is extremely concerning that the Minister doesn’t seem to know what is going on in his own portfolio. Maybe the Minister could check Housing New Zealand’s website which clearly states that the policy is still being developed, and that more details will be available in February 2010.

“The Minister seems to be under the impression that by merely announcing the policy, it will magically appear.

“Despite the Minister’s claims, this is not a new policy. The Labour Government’s Papakainga lending policy also enabled people to borrow money to build or buy housing on Maori land in multiple ownership. The funding for this ceased in July this year, and the Minister needs to tell us when the replacement will be available. It is a concern that he believes it already is.”

ENDS

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