11. Question No. 11—Housing and Urban DevelopmentSIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki) to the Minister of Housing and Urban DevelopmentQuestion No. 11—Housing and Urban Development11. SIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki) to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development: How many people on the Housing New Zealand wait-list are currently being housed in motels and how many were at the time he became Minister?Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Housing and Urban Development): Our preference is that we do not have people who are homeless staying in motels. However we have inherited a crisis and it takes time to rebuild public housing. We will continue to use motels temporarily as the alternative is that people are in their cars or sleeping rough. In spite of 9590 families being housed off the public housing register since we took office—9590 households—we continue to see housing need rise as the hidden homeless come forward. I'm advised that 977 households on the register were in a motel in April compared to 350 in October 2017.Simon O'Connor: What responsibility does he take for the increase in the Housing New Zealand waiting list which has almost doubled in the last 12 months and now under his watch is sitting at over 11000 Kiwis?SPEAKER: I think it would have been out of order other than for the reference that the member made during his overlong primary answer.Hon PHIL TWYFORD: This Government encourages people to come forward when they need help when they can't find proper shelter. We take responsibility for building more public housing and so there are 1900 extra families in public housing since we came into office. That party when it was in Government reduced the number of State houses by more than 6000 over nine years. That's the mess that we are cleaning up.Simon O'Connor: Does the Minister therefore disagree with his own officials at Housing New Zealand who said that most of the State houses built under this Government so far were started by the National Government?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well no matter which way the member wants to slice it or dice it they reduced State housing by 6000 houses. We have already increased the number of people in public housing by 1900 households since we took office. We stopped the sell-off of State housing. We're building more. We've built a thousand extra transitional housing places.Simon O'Connor: Will the Minister admit that the increase of private rental prices of over $70 a week as reported by TradeMe are linked to his ever-growing list of compliance costs and are a major driver for the increased demand for social housing? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: No I don't think any sensible commentator would agree with that member's assertion. The fact that rents have stabilised in Auckland and Wellington—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! Order! That is well beyond enough.Hon Gerry Brownlee: What world is that Minister living in?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The fact that rents have stabilised—SPEAKER: Oh Mr Brownlee just—Hon PHIL TWYFORD: —in about half the country gives the lie to the Opposition's assertion that there are policy changes rolled out nationwide or being implemented that have had any effect. The reason that rents are going up in so many parts of the country is because of the shortage of housing supply left by that Government. Hon Judith Collins: Rubbish. Why is it only going up under you? SPEAKER: Order! Order! Ms Collins the Hon Judith Collins—can she just let her junior member ask the question? Thank you. Simon O'Connor: I'd always defer to Ms Collins. SPEAKER: Well—[Interruption] Order! Both sides please. Simon O'Connor: Thank you. Can the Minister confirm that alongside motels the Government is also housing people in caravan parks and if so what are the minimum standards for both motels and caravans? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well the last Government made an art form actually out of housing people in caravan parks. We don't like it. We don't approve of it but if it's the only alternative to people sleeping in their cars—[Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member will resume his seat but I'm going to ask this side to be absolutely quiet while the Minister answers the question. Hon PHIL TWYFORD: So there are some people who are living in caravan parks but that's because the only alternative to them either sleeping rough and out in the weather or in cars is staying in a motel or a caravan park. Now this Government doesn't like that. We don't approve of it—[Interruption]SPEAKER: OK the member will resume his seat. The question will be asked again and we'll have quiet during both the asking and the answering. Simon O'Connor: Thank you Mr Speaker. Can the Minister confirm that alongside motels the Government is also housing people in caravan parks and if so what are the minimum standards for both motels and caravans?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: We are currently implementing a programme of supervision of wraparound services and quality standards for people who are staying in contracted motels and our goal is to shift as many people as possible into contracted motels where for the first time ever there will be quality standards. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Could I ask the Minister did his Government start housing households in motels and paying people to leave Auckland? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: No our Government did not start the practice of putting people in motels. SPEAKER: Well answered—thank you. Simon O'Connor: Can the Minister please confirm that there are standards for those living in caravans—I respect he's acknowledged motels; can he indicate to the House the standards required of caravans? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: No there are currently no quality standards for people who are using the emergency housing special needs grant either for motels or for people staying in campgrounds. There have never in the last decade been any quality standards for people in campgrounds. That's why we are shifting people out of temporary special needs grant motels into contracted motels where there will be quality standards and wraparound services.Simon O'Connor: Will all motel owners providing transitional housing need to measure every window the area of each room and the type of insulation alongside 34 other variables to work out if a heater is needed to comply with his latest heating regulations?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Motels are not covered by the Healthy Homes Guarantee Act.