Heatley Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Heatley Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:647;Page:16146] 
11.  
PHIL HEATLEY (National—Whangarei) 
 to the  
Minister of Housing 
: Does she have confidence in Housing New Zealand Corporation; if so why? 
Hon MARYAN STREET (Minister of Housing) 
: 
 Yes; because it works hard to house some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable families. 
Phil Heatley 
: Has she seen reports of increasing numbers of struggling families on the waiting list right across New Zealand living in overcrowded and seriously unhealthy conditions; if so what is the Housing New Zealand Corporation doing to alleviate such overcrowding? 
Hon MARYAN STREET 
: The Housing New Zealand Corporation is working to alleviate those situations by increasing the numbers of housing stock year on year. 
Hon Steve Maharey 
: What is the Housing New Zealand Corporation doing to ensure that its tenants have warm insulated houses? 
Hon MARYAN STREET 
: The energy-efficient retrofit programme announced by the Green Party last week will be boosted by $53.4 million in Budget 2008 effectively doubling the pace of the programme and that means that the remaining 21000 State houses will now be insulated within 5 years. That contributes to reducing those families’ costs. 
Phil Heatley 
: Why are hundreds of waiting-list families living in unhealthy overcrowded conditions when the Housing New Zealand Corporation has 1108 State houses with 1108 tenants living in big properties with two or more spare bedrooms? 
Hon MARYAN STREET 
: There is a short answer to that and it is to do with the history of the 1990s and where we would have been had we not had the culling of the State house stock. However the particular issue the member raises is being addressed on a regular basis day in day out by the Housing New Zealand Corporation. 
Phil Heatley 
: Why after 9 years are vulnerable families forced to live in overcrowded and squalid Mangere boarding facilities where “flea bites fungal sores and ringworm etch into children’s skin” when there are 38 State houses in Mangere and Manurewa with 38 tenants who live in big houses with two or more spare bedrooms? 
Hon MARYAN STREET 
: I simply refer that member to my previous answer. 
Jill Pettis 
: Has the Minister seen any reports of mass sell-offs of State houses; if so when did that occur and who was responsible? 
Hon MARYAN STREET 
: As I have said in this House before it is an old song and although the National Party does not like us to sing it it remains true. If we were 13500 houses better off we would not have the kind of overcrowding the member pretends to be concerned about. 
Phil Heatley 
: How did we ever get to the point under 9 years of a Labour Government that on the one hand we have hundreds of struggling families on the waiting list who are living in crowded squalor while on the other hand we have over 1000 tenants banging around in large State houses with two or more spare bedrooms? 
Hon MARYAN STREET 
: I do not know how many times I have to repeat the previous answer. Let me try it from a different tack. Had we had more State houses than we did at the end of the 1990s these problems might not have arisen. Further to that the Housing New Zealand Corporation works constantly to fit appropriate houses to appropriate family sizes and will continue to do so. 
Phil Heatley 
: I seek leave to table reports of families living in crowded conditions while on the waiting list. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Phil Heatley 
: I seek leave to table a parliamentary question detailing the 1108 State houses with two or more spare bedrooms. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? Yes there is. 
Phil Heatley 
: I seek leave to table figures showing 38 State houses in Mangere and Manurewa that are half empty. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? Yes there is.