Housing in Waiariki

MANA Movement Candidate for Waiariki Annette Sykes

TUESDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER

Fact: Under this National-Maori Party-ACT-United Future Government 61% of Maori in Waiariki do not own their own home and nearly 70% of Maori rentals in Waiariki pay $200 or more per week.

“Maori in Waiariki have low rates of home ownership and those who pay rent, pay too much” states MANA Movement Candidate for Waiariki, Annette Sykes. “This National-Maori Party-ACT and United Future Government have sat on their hands and done nothing to help Maori either get into their first homes or to pay less rent. While everybody is worrying about the Auckland Housing Crisis, what about the Maori Housing Crisis? Why should Maori not have a home in their own country and why has this Government not lifted a finger to help?”

“The MANA Movement have a range of policies to help Maori own their own home and pay less rent. We want lower income earners to pay less tax and to be paid a ‘living wage’ rather than a ‘poverty wage’ that is currently the case. For the unemployed, we want full employment so that the dole queue becomes a thing of the past. When it comes specifically to issues involving housing, we want to build 10,000 state homes a year and give tenants the option to rent-to-buy. We also want to maintain income-related rentals that charge no more than 25% of what people earn and we want each rental property to have a ‘warrant of fitness’. When it comes to home ownership, we want to use a programme that Maori know already works and reintroduce the Department of Maori Affairs Home Ownership Scheme with no deposit required and low interest rates charged on the mortgage."

“If the MANA Movement becomes part of a new Government after the coming election then we would expect our policies to reverse the shocking rates of Maori home ownership and reduce the high amount of rent charged for those who are unable to own their own home."

ENDS

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