Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst welcomes today’s announcement for the first stage of the government’s investment
towards more housing in Hastings.
Many factors are contributing to a massive housing shortage in Hastings - from a lack of affordable homes and rent
increases, to the need to house 4,500 seasonal workers every year, coupled with emergency, social and senior housing all
being at capacity.
This is putting huge pressure on families, many of whom are living in cramped and unhealthy conditions or in the worst
cases, being left to live rough in their cars and on the streets.
Mrs Hazlehurst says she is delighted that the Government has delivered on the promise made by the Prime Minister when
she visited Waipatu Marae in April this year.
“Jacinda Arden made a commitment to work together to deliver a plan that would firstly deal with the issue of
homelessness and our severe housing shortage in the short term and secondly, to ensure the housing market works for
everyone so that home ownership is possible for the whole community in the medium to long term.
“We are really pleased to be chosen for this pilot programme and I’d like to thank her Ministers responsible for
housing and the government agencies that have been working with us, under the leadership of the Ministry of Housing and
Urban Development, to make this happen for our people.”