May 01, 2015
State house handover to company not good enough
Tamaki Makaurau MP Peeni Henare doesn’t believe the redevelopment of housing in Glen Innes and Point England will benefit the area’s Maori population.
The Government is handing over 2800 state houses to the Tamaki Redevelopment Company, which is jointly owned by the government and Auckland Council.
It means the company suddenly becomes one of the country’s biggest landlords, as well as having responsibility for developing a mix of private and social housing on land now occupied by state houses.
Finance Minister Bill English says the aim is to encourage regeneration.
But Mr Henare says existing residents are being forced out or priced out.
"It’s actually an attempt to push our people further and further away from where they've traditionally lived. We've been in Glen Innes for years. We know that this government has a policy to allow iwi to manage these assets, yet this huge asset that they are talking about is going to the Tamaki Redevelopment. I don't think it's good enough" he says.
Peeni Henare says housing issues in Glen Innes already makes up the bulk of his constituency work.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH PEENI HENARE CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=Mjg2Mjc=
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com