Rental shortage blamed on overseas non-resident landlords

NZ rental shortage can be blamed on overseas non-resident landlords

I recently had a disturbing email from a NZSP member informing me that the Chinese owner of the adjacent property was celebrating his 50th property purchase in New Zealand despite him not living here.

This is one of the reasons NZ have people living in cars because these wealthy landlords buy up all the property and rent them out at exorbitant prices taking all the profit off shore. A New Zealanders cannot buy property in China so why does our Government allow Chinese to buy property here?

New Zealand belongs to New Zealanders and it is only they who should have the right to buy property. All overseas property purchases should be stopped to allow ordinary Kiwis to fulfil their dreams of owning their own ¼ acre piece of paradise.

Another way our housing shortage and unaffordability could be dealt with is to make it a condition of any Treaty settlement that tribes spend a portion of the settlement money on building lower priced housing for their people. Some settlement money could also be made available to help with a deposit for an existing property at lower interest rates than the banks.

Very little of this money gets to the people who need it most instead tribes create themselves high paid jobs in flash offices, buy hotels, sports clubs etc with little or no thought for the average tribal member who is struggling to make ends meet.

It is a case of some having their snouts in the money trough and the rest missing out. Maori say they are the guardians of the land well it is time they put their land and money to good use by investing in housing for their people. This would not only provide jobs for their young people but it would also provide badly needed housing, at affordable prices for the people who need it most.

ENDS

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