National is committed to building better housing and more effectively managing the state housing stock.
We recognise that good housing is important for the health and wellbeing of our families and our communities.
When National came into office, many state houses were run down, in the wrong area, not the right size, and not going to those families most in need.
Over the past three years, National has increased the overall state housing portfolio by more than 1000 homes and completed upgrades to tens of thousands of other homes, including insulation, clean heating, and essential maintenance.
Over the next five years, National plans to build 1400 new state houses in Auckland and will also upgrade 14,500 state houses across Auckland.
That is nearly half of the existing 30,600.
National has already invested an extra $120 million upgrading and building state housing as part of our ‘Jobs and Growth’ stimulus package.
This created an estimated 2000 jobs during the recession.
We have helped over 4400 extra people buy their own homes through changes to the Welcome Home Loan cap.
If re-elected, National will ensure that by the end of 2013, every state house built before 1978 is insulated if it is possible to do so.
Warmer, drier homes mean energy savings, lower power bills, and healthier communities.
We will continue with our $347 million ‘Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart Scheme’ to retrofit at least 188,500 privately owned homes.
We have already insulated more than 133,000 privately owned homes.
Quality insulation
A large number of homes have inadequate insulation and heating.
Alongside insulation of all state houses, National is ensuring that private homes are warmer and drier too.
National will ensure that property owners and tenants are clear about the law.
We have a no-nonsense approach to tenant behaviour. We will not hesitate to remove tenants for vandalism, fraud, or serous anti-social behaviour.
We will also increase the supply of social housing through the more effective use of existing resources.
National will work closely with social housing providers and Community Housing Aotearoa to grow the total amount of social housing available, in areas of most need.
We think it is unfair that a single person might be living in a four-bedroom house, while a family of six waits in substandard accommodation.
That is why we will give Housing New Zealand the flexibility to reconfigure their housing stock to increase the number of houses in areas of high demand for those most in need of a home.
National is committed to making sure New Zealanders have a warm, dry, and healthy place to live.
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi is Member of Parliament on National List.
