October 13, 2016
All party response to homelessness needed
Labour wants the Government to take part in a round table meeting to respond to the report of the Cross Party Inquiry on Homelessness it refused to join.
Housing spokesperson Phil Twyford says the country wants political parties to work together on positive solutions to homelessness.
The report prepared Labour, Green and Maori Party MPs estimated there are 4200 people experiencing severe or long-term homelessness.
It called for the Government to adopt the Canadian Housing First model, where the homeless are placed immediately into stable long-term housing and then wrap around support is provided.
Other recommendations include increasing the stock of state houses, building more affordable houses, tackling speculation in the property market, supporting Kainga Whenua housing and other schemes to allow building on Maori multiply-owned land, and making sure people leaving state care have homes.
Mr Twyford says current Government programmes fall a long way short of what the the inquiry proposes, and it’s time to work out an all-party plan to end homelessness.
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