July 10, 2015
Insulation tackled but speculation still an issue
Labour leader Andrew Little says the Government’s responses to the housing crisis are too limited.
Housing Minister Nick Smith has bowed to pressure on damp and cold houses, but his new rules that rental accommodation must be insulated won’t kick in for four years for private landlords.
The Maori Party has given limited support to the change because of the high proportion of Maori families who rent, but Mr Little says there is still no movement on other factors affecting housing availability.
Labour wants a crack down on no-resident foreign speculators who are taking homes out of both the rental and first home markets.
"What we are saying is when there is a shortage of existing houses, the local kiwis who are trying to get into houses in their own towns and cities shouldn’t have to compete with non-resident foreign buyers. If they want a house here they don’t want to live in, let them build one. We shouldn’t have kiwis who are struggling to get into their first home having to compete with those guys. So a register and some tight rules about whether or not they are allowed to buy existing houses, we think that’s important," Mr Little says.
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