Henare Peeni: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHenare Peeni: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 01 June 2016. Volume:714;Page:11557. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]11.PEENI HENARE (Labour—Tāmaki Makaurau) to the Minister for Social Housing: How much financial assistance if any has the Ministry of Social Development given to Te Puea Marae to house the homeless?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Building and Housing) on behalf of theMinister for Social Housing: Today the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) opened for proposals the $41 million emergency housing initiative which includes funding for community organisations to provide emergency housing. Officials have been in discussion with the marae on accessing funding but no contract has yet been signed. MSD has also been dealing with each of the individuals using the marae who are in high housing need to find longer-term solutions for the families.Peeni Henare: How will her $41.1 million fix the problem when most of it covers only existing places and yet Te Puea Marae had to open its doors because there is a huge increase in demand that is not covered by existing providers?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The $41 million that the Minister for Social Housing has secured in this year’s Budget is the most generous support the Government has ever provided for emergency housing. There certainly will be portions of that that are for new emergency housing as well as supporting the sustainability of community organisations that provide existing emergency housing.Marama Davidson: Given that Te Puea Marae is responding to the housing crisis by putting a roof over the heads of homeless New Zealanders why has the Minister not been out to Te Puea Marae to see what is happening there?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The Government provides social housing support for over 150000 New Zealanders. We commend the marae on its initiative. MSD staff have been to the marae in the last week contracts have been available only from today and the Minister has brought forward the timetable for those contracts that were not due to come into effect until September taking into account the need.Peeni Henare: Can she confirm the only financial help the Government has given Te Puea Marae to help house the homeless is $10000 through Te Puni Kōkiri and will she commit to an ongoing weekly contribution to assist Te Puea in filling the gaps in this Government’s failed emergency housing policy?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The way this Government goes about funding community organisations is to respond to need but to do so in a professional way. The specific need of this marae arrived only last week. There are discussions—[Interruption] Well the marae started its programme just last week and the ministry is in discussion with it about a funding contract.Peeni Henare: In light of that answer how has she let homelessness get so bad that a 15-day-old premature baby has been forced to live at an Auckland marae because Housing New Zealand would not house her family in Whakatāne?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The specific circumstances of that case are that the person did not provide the information of them having an infant child because they were concerned that the child may be removed from them if they declared it. That is unfortunate. I think the circumstances are understandable and the lesson from that is for MSD to be able to reassure families that providing their full information will ensure we can meet their housing need.Peeni Henare: When the public is moved to action by the reality of so many New Zealand families living in cars and garages why will she not commit to matching that demand with actual beds?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The number of people in high housing need which is being monitored by Housing New Zealand is not significantly different across the country from the number that existed when we came to Government in 2008. It may be news to members opposite but in every single year in my 26 years as a parliamentarian I have dealt with constituency cases of people in high need. It is true that the need in Auckland is greater. In exactly the same way as we have successfully resolved those issues in Christchurch we will resolve them in Auckland.