7. Question No. 7—HousingCHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister of HousingQuestion No. 7—Housing7. CHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister of Housing: What is the current nationwide median rent according to the MBIE rental bond database and what has been the increase in the nationwide median rent according to the MBIE rental bond database since October 2017?Hon WILLIE JACKSON (Associate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing)) on behalf of the Minister of Housing: The current nationwide median rent for new tenancies according to the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment rental bond database is $570 per week. That's an increase of $170 from the $400 median rent in October 2017. Stats NZ figures however show that the national rent rises in the last year are in line with the longer-term average and are also below the general inflation rate. Unsurprisingly the way you solve a housing crisis is you build more houses. That's what this Government is doing and congratulations to our Minister of Housing who along with our Prime Minister today opened the Te Mātāwai public housing development on Greys Avenue in Auckland. Te Mātāwai is the largest public housing development delivered to date by the Government with 276 units in total—another example of this Government's commitment to public housing.Chris Bishop: Does she accept that the Government's war on landlords is hurting tenants by driving rents to record highs and how can she defend a nationwide rent increase of $170 a week in the last six years?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: I reject that totally. In fact this Government has been so good to the average New Zealander that it's not funny. No longer will renters be thrown out at the whim of a landlord. No longer can landlords just push rental rises on tenants whenever they want to. No longer will they freeze in the cold houses that they froze in in the nine years that the National Party was in Government. Things could never be better for our people at the moment: 13000 new public houses. In fact on year we've delivered the most public homes of a Government since the Nash Government in 1950.Chris Bishop: How does he square his remark just now that things could never be better for average New Zealanders with the fact that the State house waiting list has quintupled under this Government 6000 families live in motels and nearly 500 families are living in cars?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Because we have made huge changes in terms of the housing market. We are building more houses than that previous Government ever did. We are looking after renters. We are looking after our people. We are getting the support of communities. We've got a Māori housing strategy. We've got a Pacific Island strategy. The previous Government that that member was involved with did absolutely nothing. OK things could get better faster but—but—we're doing pretty good; a lot better than that member could ever do.Chris Bishop: Has she seen the latest Crockers Tony Alexander Survey that suggests rents will continue to rise over the coming six months as a result of the rising costs associated with being a landlord under this Government and when will she drop her commitment to the removal of interest deductibility for landlords that she was warned would put pressure on rents?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: There's a number of reasons why we have higher rents and it's not just about what the member is talking about. In terms of the survey 22 percent of surveyed landlords said they were considering selling their rental property in the next six months. Of those considering selling their rental property 39 percent cited a less profitable asset now that the mortgage interest costs can't be offset against rental income; 20 percent cited the cost of the new healthy homes standard. The number of rented properties has grown by 3 percent from March 2021 to December 2022. Investors remain active in the market with a share of 35 percent of purchases. We're doing pretty well considering what we inherited from that previous Government.Chris Bishop: How does she expect a young family with a mortgage to cope with hundreds of dollars a week more in interest costs because of the cost of living crisis created by this useless Government?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: I would expect that young couple to continue to vote for the Labour Government and we will ensure that they will be looked after as we have done over the last few years.Hon Gerry Brownlee: How?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Well do I have to go through it all again? OK. Over 13000 public homes added since we came into Government. In fact year on we've delivered the most public homes of any Government since the Nash Government in the 1950s. Over 700 apprentices and 1500 public homes by the time we left office. Over 700—1 in 7—of the total public housing stock has been added by this document. Get that through your head Mr Brownlee.