June 13, 2016
Iwi cover for state house sell off criticised
The State Housing Action Network says the fact 60 per cent of Housing New Zealand's tenants in Tauranga are Maori is not justification for iwi to provide cover for the Government’s state housing sell off.
Tauranga Moana iwi last week signed a memorandum of understanding with IHC subsidiary Accessible Properties, which is bidding for the 1100 state homes in the area.
The network says the government’s housing policy is now an absolute shambles, and Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett should abandon the sale.
It says community organisations like the Salvation Army, Methodist Mission, Habitat for Humanity, Pact and Trust House Limited have backed out of the process, leaving the government standing alone with foreign and local profiteers keen to make money from misery.
While the Government has announced a 10 year plan to spend $20 billion updating Defence equipment, it has no such plans for more critical policies to reduce child poverty or provide decent housing for tenants and families who need them.
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