Slums will fix housing crisis says English

Finance Minister Bill English says slum apartments little bigger than a double garage are the Government’s latest idea to get young Kiwi families into their first home, says Labour’s Housing spokesperson Phil Twyford.

“Bill English’s comment that “we have to get a bit ugly” in the design of affordable housing shows National’s brutal side when it comes to building housing for ordinary Kiwis.

“Bill English has called for more shoebox apartments, saying that the 40 square metre minimum should be reduced, but that is the last thing Aucklanders want to see.

“National’s changes to the rules on the way Councils charge developers levies to fund infrastructure will also mean new communities get built without facilities like libraries and swimming pools.

“The Government is so desperate about the out of control housing crisis they are seriously suggesting the answer is to drive down the quality of new developments, and have people live in Soviet-style apartment blocks without basic community facilities. What a nightmare vision for the future of Auckland.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. Under Labour’s Kiwibuild policy the best of Kiwi and international design talent will deliver top quality contemporary homes. Every Kiwibuild house will be architect designed.

“It is only through great design that we can build attractive, durable, healthy homes at an affordable cost. Smart use of the surrounding spaces and design of neighbourhoods will ensure that even with smaller sections and floor area, you can still have a home to be proud of.

“When Bill English says a “ lot of people live in New Zealand on relatively low incomes and their housing is never going to look that flash, so why don’t we get practical and work with the market as it is”, he reveals a lot about National’s mind set. He thinks we can only deliver affordability by lowering standards and driving down quality. Labour on the other hand will use 21st century architectural and urban design to deliver a new generation of affordable homes and neighbourhoods that will raise the standard of New Zealand housing.

“The first Labour Government got rid of Depression era slums through a massive programme of house building. Those houses have given generations of Kiwi families a great start in life. We have done it before and we will do it again.”

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