The Green Party is calling on the Associate Minister of Housing Tama Potaka to come clean about the impact his decisions are having on homelessness following an interview with Q&A this morning where he dodged questions and avoided accountability.

“Tama Potaka needs to tell the truth and admit that his cuts to accessing emergency housing are behind the rise in homelessness that we are seeing across the country,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Housing, Tamatha Paul.

“Housing is a human right and something we can afford to provide to everyone, no matter how tough times get.

“This Government has cut back on public housing, slashed emergency housing access and is refusing to take any accountability or responsibility for the impact this is having on the rising rates of people being forced to live on the streets, in tents and in cars.

“The Government knew its cuts to emergency housing would lead to an increase in homelessness, the Government was told this by officials, they clearly just don’t care. We won’t forget that these cuts that harm our most vulnerable are all to fund tax cuts for the wealthy and sorted.

“A Green Government will reverse National’s restrictions to emergency housing so those who need help get it. We will build 35,000 new public homes in five years to clear the public housing waitlist and ensure everyone can live in a warm, healthy home because we don’t believe anybody should be left on the street,” says Tamatha Paul.

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