On World Homeless Day, the Labour Government needs to reflect on its own policy failures that have led to an increase in homelessness across New Zealand, National’s Housing spokesperson Chris Bishop says.

“Having come to power promising to fix New Zealand’s housing crisis, Labour’s policies have actually increased homelessness.

“Labour’s war on landlords has pushed up rents by $140 per week over the last five years, pushing more people out of private rentals and resulting in the state housing waitlist skyrocketing by over 20,000 more people.

“Shamefully, nearly 4,000 families and 4,000 children wake up every morning in a motel room under this Government. Since Labour came to power, more than $1 billion has been spent on emergency housing.

“National recently revealed that the number of people living in cars and tents has increased four times under Labour’s watch.

“Vulnerable Kiwis who are in the most severe need of housing now have to wait nearly ten times longer for a state house than they did five years ago.

“Despite claiming that KiwiBuild was the answer and promising to build 100,000 homes, Labour has delivered a measly 1.4 per cent of that target.

“Labour has been a complete failure on housing. Their utter inability to deliver on any of their promises has created an economic and social disaster causing incalculable pain and suffering for Kiwis who simply want to provide a safe and warm home for their family.

“It is time for new ideas and new solutions, and that starts with replacing this Government that has only made the housing crisis worse.”

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