Andrew Little
Leader of the Opposition
MEDIA STATEMENT

5 July 2016

Fewer than 500 affordable houses built in Auckland

Government figures showing that fewer than 500 affordable houses are being built in Auckland this year reveal the scale of National’s failure to act on the housing crisis, Leader of the Opposition Andrew Little says.

“In his pre-Budget speech, Bill English said only 5 per cent of new houses are affordably priced. There were 9,400 new houses consented in Auckland in the past year – that amounts to fewer than 500 affordable homes.

“John Key is failing Aucklanders, firstly by refusing to admit there is a housing crisis and secondly by not making sure there are enough houses at the lower end of the market.

“This is the same man who just yesterday admitted that to get into the housing market, young families need affordable houses.

“The average house price in Auckland is approaching $1 million and there are families living in cars and garages. National’s half-baked, half-measures have no effect in dampening down skyrocketing house prices which would curb rent rises.

“Labour will restore the Kiwi dream of homeownership by embarking on a large-scale state-backed affordable home building programme and crack down on overseas speculators pushing house prices beyond the reach of most New Zealanders,” Andrew Little says.

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