“It is shameful that the Government is so bereft of ideas on delivering more housing that it couldn’t answer any questions today beyond a plan to build fewer public houses by 2024 than there are families on the waiting list for public houses today,” says ACT Housing spokesperson Brooke van Velden.
“Asked by the media this afternoon what the Government was actually going to do about getting supply to meet demand in both the public and private sector, the Prime Minister said ‘we’ve kept an open mind looking across the board at initiatives that will make a difference.’
“I’m afraid that amounts to little more than a vacuous punt for touch.
“Aside from that waffle the key message for today was ‘wait for the Budget’ for a specific focus on supply side initiatives.
“The shortage of housing isn’t a new issue, and by Budget day the Government will be about 20 per cent of the way through its term.
“Labour campaigned on this issue in 2017, fluffed it and now doesn’t know what it’s going to do.
“Being unable to announce today how it intends to free up land for development, fix infrastructure funding to incentivise new development and reform the RMA is a very poor start to the year.”
ENDS