Andrew Little

Leader of the Opposition

25 July 2017

National’s affordable housing promise for Auckland more smoke and mirrors

The 26,000 additional houses National plans to build in Auckland on public land over the next decade include fewer than 5,000 affordable homes, while more than 60 per cent will be available for speculators to buy, says Leader of the Opposition Andrew Little.

“Social Housing Minister Amy Adams told media at the time of National’s grand announcement that between 20 and 50 per cent of the houses would be affordable. But official documents on the Crown Building Project, which she had when she made those claims, show only 18 per cent will be.

“National simply has to stop misleading Aucklanders that they have a credible plan to solve the housing crisis.

“Labour will make a genuine commitment to affordable housing in Auckland, with 50,000 truly affordable houses to be sold to first home buyers at cost. National, on the other hand, is essentially selling off public land to the highest bidder with its plan to build 16,000 ‘market’ houses that are officially “not affordable” and allow speculators to buy these houses.

“It’s just more smoke and mirrors, designed to generate headlines, rather than actually fix the housing crisis.

“At a time when Auckland’s population is growing by more than a hundred people a day, National’s plan to build just one affordable house a day is a joke. Building 16,000 unaffordable houses that speculators can buy is another kick in the teeth for young people who are locked out of home ownership. It just shows where National’s priorities lie.

“Auckland house prices may be stable but the shortage of housing, particularly starter homes, is still getting worse. Just ask teachers – the NZEI survey shows two thirds of Auckland teachers thinking of leaving Auckland because of the cost of living and many have given up on owning their own home.

“Labour’s fresh approach actually deals with the challenge facing Kiwis who are struggling to buy their first home. We’re committed to building good, modern starter homes that families need and cracking down on speculators,” says Andrew Little.

Attached: Crown Building Project spreadsheet. Source: Office of Social Housing Minister Amy Adams.

Background: Crown Building Project

• 34,211 new houses minus 8,275 demolitions

• 25,936 net new houses

• 4,555 affordable houses (1.24 a day over ten years)

• 16,116 ‘market’ houses (62% of net new houses, refers to houses not classified as affordable and not reserved for first home buyers)

• 5,265 net social houses

http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1707/04444_2017__QWA_44444450_2017_Crown_Building_Project_spreadsheet.pdf

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