 |
HOUSING
INTRODUCTION:
A PROPERTY OWNING DEMOCRACY
New Zealand First believes that all New Zealanders should have quality, affordable accommodation. The home, the basis of family life, is fundamental to New Zealand. Private ownership provides an underlying social stability - a "Property Owning Democracy". There has been a 10% fall in homeownership in recent years which is clearly not the Kiwi way.
Existing policy provides housing for landlords' needs, and is failing: driving rental prices for low income earners up to crippling levels, and not providing adequate, healthy accommodation in areas of low housing supply. New Zealand First's policy package recognises that different policy mixes are needed for regions with different problems.
PLANS
New Zealand First will:
- address the supply-side pressures of the housing market by building or buying sufficient low income houses to address New Zealand's current rental housing crisis;
- review the Residential Tenancy Act and ensure that it is equitable to both the landlord and the tenant;
- provide incentives for state housing tenants to maintain their residences to an agreed standard;
- provide better consumer protection and improved complaints processes in relation to real estate transactions, and realistic sanctions against transgressors;
- ensure that the appropriate regulatory powers, processes, and resources are in place to address the issues raised in the 'leaky homes' crisis in timely fashion;
- ensure that the Housing New Zealand Corporation provides a better match between the size and locality of houses and the requirements of tenants;
- require Housing New Zealand to meet the housing needs of New Zealand citizens first when allocating state housing;
- provide incentives and mechanisms which encourage New Zealanders to save for their future long-term accommodation needs;
- provide local authorities with sufficient powers and incentives to provide more affordable housing options and to make more land available for housing;
- amend the consents process to improve the timely provision of more affordable housing;
- establish policy variations (through purchase agreements) that reflect the nature of housing needs within each housing region, and that allow for forward planning in relation to the meeting of those needs;
- maintain areas as Zones of High Housing Need (e.g. Northland, East Coast, Eastern Bay of Plenty). Such zones will have low deposit and low interest provisions made available to them;
- encourage saving by excluding balances in dedicated home savings accounts from asset calculations when considering emergency benefit grants;
- develop a 'home buy' plan, including rent-to-own schemes to encourage private ownership including the use of low deposit and low interest provisions;
- provide a framework for the development of shared equity housing options;
- broaden the eligibility criteria set by Housing New Zealand so as to increase the number of members of KiwiSaver or an approved alternative superannuation scheme, who will be entitled to a first home deposit subsidy from the government;
- provide finance facilities for self-build organisations to use as a revolving fund to assist low income earners into affordable homes;
- provide for the development of cheaper and more flexible mortgage packages for first home buyers;
- include government housing assistance schemes in Treaty of Waitangi settlements;
- introduce peppercorn rentals for Community Housing through contractual agreements between Housing New Zealand Corporation and approved community organisations;
- develop policies to improve energy efficiencies in all new dwellings, and as refurbishment is required, in the existing housing stock;
- review the sale of state rental properties to private developers and re-develop existing rental sites where commercially appropriate; and,
- encourage local government to retain existing housing stocks for pensioners.
|
|
