8. Question No. 8—Housing (Public Housing)RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing)Question No. 8—Housing (Public Housing)8. RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): What is the Government looking for when it says it will continue to monitor the rental market closely" and what would that monitoring have to show to convince the Government to develop new rules to ensure reasonable rents?Hon POTO WILLIAMS (Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing)): The Government has made a number of changes to ensure better support for renters to find affordable accommodation during the housing crisis that has built up over the last decade including limiting rent increases to once a year banning rental bidding banning letting fees removing no-cause terminations and allowing renters to go to the Tenancy Tribunal to request a rent reduction if they think their rent is too high. We will continue to monitor the rental market closely including rent increases turnover of rental properties investor behaviour and any changes to total rental stock. Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she believe the rental housing market is delivering efficient and fair outcomes?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: Could he repeat that question?Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she believe the rental housing market is delivering efficient and fair outcomes?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: What I do believe is that we've made multiple changes to improve the security and rights for renters including limiting rent increases once a year and banning rental bidding. We're monitoring what happens with rent rises and will take action when necessary. I want to quote from the Stats New Zealand rental price index which shows for the year to March 2021 a 1.6 percent increase in rents across the country. Now this is lower than the last few years which saw increases of around 2 to 5 percent and the lowest we've seen since 2009. I reiterate: if a tenant thinks that their rent is too expensive and not in line with the market rent they can seek redress from the Tenancy Tribunal.Ricardo Menéndez March: Is it fair that four out of every 10 people who rent have to spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: I just want to point to my previous answer. The Stats New Zealand rental price index shows for the year to March 2021 an increase of 1.6 percent in rents across the country. This is lower than for the last few years which saw increases of around 2 to 5 percent and is in fact the lowest since 2009.Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she think it's reasonable that a landlord can charge $300 a week for a property and then get new tenants and charge them $600 a week for the same property without making any improvements to the property?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: What I do think is reasonable is the Government's support for renters in the multiple changes that we have made to improvement rights and securities of renters. Overall we have aspirations to ensure that regardless of where your home is—whether it's a home you own or a home you rent—that that is affordable and the Government's housing package goes a long way to addressing this.Ricardo Menéndez March: Can she confirm that Treasury expects the Government to subsidise people who rent from private landlords by $2.4 billion this year through the accommodation supplement because landlords are charging higher rents than 394000 people can afford?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: The accommodation supplement is a support mechanism that has been in place for many years to support people to have affordable housing.Ricardo Menéndez March: How many new State homes could be built with the money that the Government currently uses to subsidise unaffordable private rental homes?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: I think that's possibly better directed to the Minister of Housing."