Phil Twyford
MP for Te Atatū
Housing Spokesperson

MEDIA STATEMENT

13 October 2016

Call for all-party round table on homelessness

Labour is calling on the Government to take part in a roundtable meeting to hammer out a cross-party agreement on ending homelessness.

Labour’s housing spokesperson Phil Twyford said the country wanted positive solutions to homelessness, and wanted the political parties to work together.

“Two of the leading social agencies working on homelessness, the Salvation Army and Lifewise, have asked the political parties to come together on this.

“Most Kiwis don’t want to see kids growing up in cars and campgrounds. This issue should be above partisan politics.

“I have written to Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett asking her to join me in convening an all-party roundtable to consider in detail the recommendations of the Cross Party Inquiry on Homelessness.

“The inquiry, backed by Labour, the Greens and the Maori Party, heard more than 500 submissions and came out with 20 recommendations for action. While the Minister has said that she accepts most of the recommendations, it is clear that current Government programmes fall a very long way short of the scaled-up comprehensive approach the inquiry proposes.

“It is time to sit down together and work out an all-party plan to end homelessness,” says Phil Twyford.

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