Iwi state house scheme a ‘loser’

AUCKLAND – Social justice advocate and Mana vice president John Minto says iwi in New Zealand should stand with low income people and push for more and better state houses, rather than take over responsibilty for housing the poor.

Minto says there is nowhere in the developed world where low income families have been able to get affordable quality housing without some public provision.

He told Radio Waatea host Willie Jackson, whose Manukau Urban Maori Authority is considering a move into housing, that the principled and financially sensible option is to oppose National’s privatisation agenda.

He says even after National has slashed the number of people it allows on Housing New Zealand’s waiting lists, it still has more than 10,000 houses fewer than it needs.

“The real problem is the lack of state housing and those iwi groups, those community housing providers who get houses from the government, they are not going to have the resources to provide more housing, they are not going to be able to afford to build affordable, high quality homes which families need so it’s got to be a government initiative.” Minto says.

“Everywhere in the world where you have got housing shortages for low income families the only group that has ever provided it successfully is the government and we have a proud record in New Zealand of doing that.”