Phil Twyford
MP for Te Atatū
Housing Spokesperson
19 July 2017
Homelessness National’s disgraceful legacy
National is failing in the most basic duty of a government – ensuring all our people have a place to live, says Labour’s
Housing spokesperson Phil Twyford.
“Auckland Council estimates 24,000 people in our biggest city don’t have a place to call home. Homeless New Zealanders
are dying in the streets. That’s not the country we want; it used to be something we only saw in America or Europe.
After nine years, National’s failure to address the housing crisis means we can no longer we pride ourselves on not
leaving Kiwis on the streets.
“I’ve had enough of the excuses and blundering from National. All they have given us is a shortage of 60,000 houses that
grows by the day, and sky-rocketing housing costs that an increasing number of us can’t afford. It’s time to build the
houses our people need.
“Labour’s fresh approach will build affordable KiwiBuild homes and sell them, at cost, to first home buyers. We’ll stop
National’s policy of sucking a profit out of Housing New Zealand and, instead, re-invest that money into more houses for
people in need. We’ll take a breather on immigration while housing supply catches up.
“New Zealand is a great and prosperous country but we can be even better. We can be a place where each of us has a roof
over their head and somewhere safe and warm to sleep. That’s the New Zealand all Kiwis want – but only a Labour
Government will deliver it,” says Phil Twyford.
ends