Despite the large number of people with terrible stories about homelessness to the Labour/Greens/Maori1 Homelessness Inquiry, this Government of Housing Inaction still thinks the problem should be ignored and the Inquiry ‘not needed’.
Some horrific stories including of burnt out social workers (“I liken it to being a medic in a war zone with no supplies”), families with severely disabled children racking up large debts in hotels, and a mother & 5 children living in their car to escape abuse have come out. Radio NZ have some good coverage including those links.
This winter’s fabulous #ParkUpForHomes movement did a lot to raise awareness of the how common this plight has become. Te Puea showed how much Kiwis care, and Manurewa Marae has taken up their mantle.
But still the Million Dollar Minister and his fearless leader insist there is no problem with housing in Auckland. According to Key & his Housing Ministers people can just buy apartments – although they’re half a million (& up), and if the Reserve Bank introduces loan:income ratios the average family wouldn’t be able to borrow half a million, let alone those poorer.
But according to National we need do nothing but tinker around the edges (purely a co-incidence they were announcing a few million more for social housing today when the $1 million average Auckland house price was announced apparently), and leave it to the Reserve Bank to worry about.
I’m not sure they make a great band, John Key and His Housing Ministers: they’re singing from the same song sheet, but they’re badly out of tune. Perhaps we need a new #Parkup movement: #ParkupForGovernment, because we can’t afford for John Key’s tour to be a long one. Instead we need a government that will actually govern. And build some bloody houses.
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1. Interesting that the Maori Party are working well with Labour on this issue – perhaps a sign that National can’t trust their partners to back them if they need them…
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