“Labour has all but confirmed that it will give Kainga Ora another extension for implementing Healthy Homes Standards. It’s one rule for landlords, another rule for Labour,” says ACT Deputy Leader and Housing spokesperson Brooke van Velden.
“Labour has all but confirmed that it will give Kainga Ora another extension for implementing Healthy Homes Standards. It’s one rule for landlords, another rule for Labour,” says ACT Deputy Leader and Housing spokesperson Brooke van Velden.
“It has been revealed to ACT that Labour is planning to announce another extension for Kainga Ora beyond the existing 1 July 2023 deadline. After I questioned the Minister in Parliament today to confirm this, it was revealed it is indeed going through Cabinet.
“Labour Minister Carmel Sepuloni was quite content to try and dodge the question, but thankfully the hapless Labour Chief Whip Duncan Webb revealed that Cabinet was considering an extension while trying to justify Labour Ministers inability to address the question. Stating “the matter is under consideration by Cabinet which is clearly a reason for not disclosing what is under consideration”
“ACT predicts Cabinet will sign it off on Monday then Labour will try and quietly dump it on Friday.
"Handing an extension to Kāinga Ora is an insult to all the landlords who did their best and stomached the costs of meeting the standards by the deadline imposed on them by the Government.
“These aren’t Healthy Homes Standards, they’re double standards. Private landlords were expected to comply within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy from 1 July 2021. The Government has given itself years and still can’t get up to speed.
“The Government has painted private landlords as villains. The reality is many landlords have had so many regulations and costs piled onto them by the Government, they’ve had no choice but to raise rents.
“Meanwhile, the Government gave itself until 2023 to implement the new standards and still failed, so it is giving itself another let off.
“The Government seems to think the Healthy Home Standards they’ve imposed on Kiwi landlords don’t apply to them. The Housing Minister needs to explain why she has such high standards for landlords when she’s not bothering to meet them herself.”