Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Young mum’s plight highlights growing problem

Moana MACKEY
Housing Spokesperson

8 September 2011

Young mum’s plight highlights growing problem
The plight of a young mother in Gisborne who in desperation had to turn to a real estate agency for assistance finding accommodation has highlighted a growing problem which is only going to be made worse by the National government's changes to social housing says Labour Housing Spokesperson and Gisborne-based MP Moana Mackey.

"Bronwyn and her team at Bronwyn Kay Agency are to be congratulated for stepping in where the Government failed to look after this young mum and her four month old baby,” Moana Mackey said.

"The lack of emergency accommodation in Gisborne has been an issue for a long time, but stubbornly high unemployment and increased pressure on family budgets has exacerbated the problem in recent years.

“But Gisborne is not the only place in New Zealand in this situation.

"No single government agency has responsibility for emergency accommodation. What this means is that those who become homeless and need to be temporarily housed while they wait for a Work and Income or Housing New Zealand assessment often find themselves being bounced from one government agency to another. It's not uncommon for these government departments to put pressure on groups like Women's Refuge to bend their rules to take these people in for the night.”

“Recent changes to the way Housing New Zealand operates will only make the problem worse and see even more vulnerable people struggling to find housing,” Moana Mackey said

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

"In Gisborne more than 80% of our Housing New Zealand waiting list was category C and D applicants. In July this year the National Government booted these people off the waiting list for a state house. If National wins the November election current Housing New Zealand tenants who are category C and D will be evicted from their homes. Where does the government think these people are going to go? Their need doesn't disappear just because the Minister has decided he doesn't want to know about it.

"On top of this, the resulting empty state houses in Tairawhiti will presumably be sold off as 'surplus to requirements', dramatically reducing the pool of affordable rentals in Gisborne. As this case has shown, if anything Tairawhiti needs more affordable social housing, not less.

"New Zealand's ever worsening housing shortages are having an impact right through the housing sector. Unfortunately this National Government has sat on its hands as the crisis has worsened and it is our most vulnerable families who are paying the price.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

Gordon Campbell: On The Government's Assault On Maori

This isn’t news, but the National-led coalition is mounting a sustained assault on Treaty rights and obligations. Audrey Young in the NZ Herald has compiled a useful list of the many ways Christopher Luxon plans to roll back the progress made in race relations over the past forty years. He has described yesterday’s nationwide protests by Maori as “pretty unfair.” Poor thing. More


 
 
Public Housing Futures: Christmas Comes Early For Landlords

New CTU analysis of the National & ACT coalition agreement has shown the cost of returning interest deductibility to landlords is an extra $900M on top of National’s original proposal. This is because it is going to be implemented earlier and faster, including retrospective rebates from April 2023. More


Green Party: Petition To Save Oil & Gas Ban

“The new Government’s plan to expand oil and gas exploration is as dangerous as it is unscientific. Whatever you think about the new government, there is simply no mandate to trash the climate. We need to come together to stop them,” says James Shaw. More

PSA: MFAT Must Reverse Decision To Remove Te Reo

MFAT's decision to remove te reo from correspondence before new Ministers are sworn in risks undermining the important progress the public sector has made in honouring te Tiriti. "We are very disappointed in what is a backward decision - it simply seems to be a Ministry bowing to the racist rhetoric we heard on the election campaign trail," says Marcia Puru. More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.