23 May 2016

Dunne Calls for National Housing Conference

UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne is calling for a National Housing Conference to develop real solutions to the country's housing problems.

The debate has seen far too much sniping between the major parties, while far too few meaningful solutions have been proposed.

UnitedFuture believes the fundamental goal should be to ensure a family that earns a steady income can be able to save for a reasonable period of time and be in a position to put a deposit on a house.

"The situation in Auckland is the most obvious expression of our national housing problem, but home availability and affordability for young families is by no means just an Auckland problem," Mr Dunne says.

A lasting solution to the current housing problem will only come when central and local government, the home building industry, the banks (including the Reserve Bank), and the social housing sector are working together.

"Treating this as a political football will only take us so far.

It is time for a more innovative way of building solutions to this pressing issue,” he says.

"The conference would need to look at the ways we can increase supply of residential land, what the capacity of the building industry is, how we can most effectively utilise that capacity, in what ways the baking sector can develop viable financing packages, and what the role of central and local government needs to be.

It is only through having a broad-based discussion with these key groups that we can meaningfully develop consensus solutions for our people.

The housing issue is a multifaceted problem cutting right across society, from the young to the old, and, as such requires a multifaceted approach to resolving it,” Mr Dunne says.

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