MANA Movement Housing Policy

Monday 15 September 2014

“When families are living in cars, garages, cockroach-infested caravans and three families to a house then we have a housing crisis", said MANA leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Hone Harawira.

“When you have a housing crisis for low-income families what should you do? Build more houses", said Harawira.

“MANA would build 10,000 state homes for rent (or rent to buy) each year until we don’t need to build any more.”

“New Zealand did this in the late 1940s and we need to do it again, desperately!”

“And it has to be the government rolling up its sleeves because nowhere in the world at any time have property developers built quality, affordable homes for low-income families. The best “the market” provides is a cardboard shack on the side of the road as happens in many other countries and has already begun in New Zealand.”

“Glen Innes was established as a thriving community after the war but National is determined to destroy it so property developers can enrich themselves building a seaside suburb for the wealthy.”

“In the first stage of the GI redevelopment the government is slashing the number of state houses from 156 to 78. Low-income families are being pushed out of their community to South and West Auckland.”

So despite the housing crisis the first state house was removed from 25 Silverton Ave on 17 April 2012 but instead of building new state homes on this government-owned land it is being land-banked for sale to a private developer.”

“National is a party for property developers, not people – another reason we need a change of government.”

But MANA is not just about state rental homes. We want every family who wants to buy a home to be able to buy one so special features of our policy are:

Develop a new low-interest, no deposit Māori Home Ownership Scheme (with low-cost mortgage insurance) for Māori first home buyers to increase the number of Māori owning their own homes.
Develop a new Kiwibank Home Ownership Scheme that would provide low-interest loans (with low-cost mortgage insurance) to low and middle income individuals and families with a demonstrated savings record.

ENDS

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