May 22, 2015
Budget ignores housing affordability


Tamaki Makaurau MP Peeni Henare says the budget was a mix of the bitter and the sweet for his constituents.
He says the rise in benefit rates is welcome, but it will do little to offset the expense of living in the super city.
A plan to free up land from government agencies for housing may help with the supply problem but it does nothing for affordability.
"It’s one thing to open up the land and commit some money to community housing initiatives but that means nothing if the materials are over-priced and as a result we are going to build homes our people still can’t afford and an extra $25 a week, while welcome, still won’t allow our people to afford those homes," Mr Henare says.
He wants to see some assistance so Auckland iwi and urban authorities can participate in developing the land and providing community and social housing.
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com