6. Question No. 6—HousingCHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister of HousingQuestion No. 6—Housing6. CHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister of Housing: What was Kāinga Ora's net surplus or deficit after tax for the third quarter of the 2021-22 financial year compared to forecast and is she satisfied with the performance of Kāinga Ora?Hon PEENI HENARE (Associate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing)) on behalf of the Minister of Housing: I am advised that for the third quarter of the 2021-22 financial year Kāinga Ora had an actual deficit of $13.6 million compared to a forecast deficit of $46.8 million. I am advised for the actual year to date as at 31 March 2022 Kāinga Ora's net deficit after tax was $82 million compared to a forecast net deficit of $115 million. This is $33 million better than forecast. In answer to the second part of the question yes.Chris Bishop: What actions has she taken if any in response of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development report to her showing that Kāinga Ora is projected to record a $662 million deficit for the 2023-24 year and that by 2025 interest costs will be 39 percent of its rental cash flow for the year?Hon PEENI HENARE: We continue to look at the settings that continue to inform the work that Kāinga Ora does in the housing programme of this Government. What we do know is that as a result of the challenges through the pandemic we've already changed a number of those settings not just through Kāinga Ora but of course some of the other schemes that allow us to (1) build more houses and (2) get more people to buy their first house. So we'll continue to monitor that as we head into the coming year and beyond and make sure that the settings are right to make sure that we can answer the housing crisis that we're dealing with.Chris Bishop: Why has Kāinga Ora only built 21 net new State houses in the last year?Hon PEENI HENARE: I want to continue to push back on the assertion from that member that we've only built so few houses. The actual number is approximately 1815 new houses in the past year ending 30 June. And if I can in the primary question the member asks about the most recent quarter of the last financial year and I can tell that member that over 215 new net homes have been built in that period. So I continue to push back against the numbers that that member continues to persist with.Hon Chris Hipkins: Can the Minister confirm that to build new houses particularly where we're aiming to increase the intensity of the houses you first have to demolish the houses that were sitting there?Hon PEENI HENARE: On behalf of the Minister I can indeed confirm that. As we look across the housing footprint for Kāinga Ora as we've looked to expand the housing portfolio and the number of houses that we have available for people that work is currently under way in a number of cities and in particular in Auckland where we see an exponential growth in houses. And of course as I said in my previous answer the net numbers that that member continues to persist with in this House are clearly incorrect.Chris Bishop: In relation to his remark just now about pushing back at apparently my erroneous assertion is he saying that the Government's own housing dashboard does not show that from June 2021 to May 2022 the net increase in new State houses built by Kāinga Ora is just 21 houses?Hon PEENI HENARE: Yes I am pushing back on the numbers that that member continues to place in this House and I continue to say that this Government has a strong and proud record of delivering homes.Chris Bishop: Is she satisfied with Kāinga Ora spending $24 million on an office fit-out at a time when it has built just 21 net new State houses in the last year? Hon PEENI HENARE: The process undertaken to house Kāinga Ora saw a number of sites being brought into one in both Auckland and Wellington and I support the work that's been done there and also if I can acknowledge the comments made by the Minister of Transport who said that the procurement process that was undertaken to do that I am completely satisfied with."Chris Bishop: Has she told her officials to only give her oral briefings on Kāinga Ora financial performance because she is worried that written briefings about Kāinga Ora get leaked to me and the media?Hon PEENI HENARE: Look I can't exactly say what she has said to her officials. And with respect to the assertion made by that member about the leak look on this side of the House we're focused on building homes."