August 27, 2014
State housing needs rebuild
The Green Party has made improving the quality and safety of rental housing a priority for the election.
Its policy released today calls for a warrant of fitness for all rented homes to ensure they are warm and healthy, greater security of tenure, and extension of existing home insulation schemes.
Co-leader Metiria Turei told Radio Waatea that with more than a third of New Zealanders now living in rental accommodation compared with a quarter in 1990, tenants' rights need better protection.
She says Housing New Zealand has also been undermined by current policies, which are all designed to boost private landlords.
"The system itself is poorly maintained and there has been such a big political move to boot people out of state houses and sell them off, so we need to do a whole other piece of work on rebuilding the concept of state housing not just for the people on the very lowest incomes but also for the working class. The state housing system was built for the working class and we need to get back to that I think," Ms Turei says.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH METIRIA TUREI CLICK ON THE LINK
http://www.waateanews.com/play_podcast?podlink=MjE1MTk=
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