September 23, 2015
Rewrite needed after He Korowai loses charity cloak
Labour’s associate housing and community and voluntary sector spokesperson says it’s nuts that a Kaitaia charity will lose its charitable status if it sells former state houses to low income whanau.
Poto Williams says He Korowai Atawhai Trust and its director Ricky Houghton have taken up the challenge that the government is ignoring of getting low income people into home ownership.
She says the row about its new papakainga threatens other work done by He Korowai and other charities caught up by the ruling.
"To take away your charitable status means you can't access all the other funding that is available for charities because those funders will look at you as if you've done something wrong. Well actually no, you haven't done anything wrong. You've actually just not complied with a government ruling. It doesn't mean you're not a great charity," Ms Williams says.
She says the situation is ridiculous given the Government’s promotion of charitable trusts as the way to take responsibility for the homeless and disabled, and a complete review of the Charities Act is clearly needed.
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