8. Question No. 8—HousingNANCY LU (National) to the Minister of HousingQuestion No. 8—Housing8. NANCY LU (National) to the Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made on the Government's housing priorities?Hon CHRIS BISHOP (Minister of Housing): This afternoon alongside the Minister for Social Development and Employment and the Associate Minister of Housing I announced a series of first steps the Government has taken to end the large-scale use of emergency housing. It will be fair to say this is one of the biggest public policy failures in New Zealand history. Under the last Government's watch thousands of children were just consigned to growing up in motels. As part of our 100-day plan we established a Priority One category for families with children in emergency housing helping them move into social housing faster. One of this Government's priorities is to end the large-scale use of emergency housing motels. This is no solution to our housing crisis.Nancy Lu: What actions is the Government taking to implement this new Priority One category?Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Between now and August we'll be working to strengthen emergency housing verification processes review eligibility settings limit discretion and clarify an applicant's responsibilities while in emergency housing. This will help make sure that it is only accessed where absolutely necessary and in the meantime Ministry of Social Development (MSD) staff will be assessing anyone applying for emergency housing to increase their scrutiny of whether or not they've unreasonably contributed to their immediate housing needs whether they've taken reasonable efforts to access other housing options and whether they've previously paid their emergency housing contribution.Nancy Lu: What are the next steps the Government will be taking when it comes to ending the large-scale use of motels for emergency housing?Hon CHRIS BISHOP: This Government is committed to ending the large-scale use of emergency housing motels and returning them to a rarely and briefly needed last resort. I want to be clear with the House that solving emergency housing will not be easy and it will not happen immediately. I also want to be clear that we are considering bold and radical steps. We'll be exploring a range of options including better support to prevent the need for emergency housing in the first place as well as for those who exit and we'll be applying a social investment lens to this problem targeting support where people need it and looking at innovative options like social bonds.Nancy Lu: What actions have been taken to streamline accountability within Government regarding emergency housing?Hon CHRIS BISHOP: One of the things that came up a lot in the last term of the Parliament was the confusing lines of accountability in this area where it was never really clear who was actually responsible for emergency housing. The Prime Minister has agreed that between Ministers Upston Potaka and myself the housing-related functions of MSD including emergency housing will sit within the housing portfolio and that will be delegated to Minister Potaka as Associate Minister of Housing. Without clear lines of responsibility there can't be accountability—this Government is not scared of either. Solving emergency housing won't be easy and it won't happen immediately. We will take those bold and radical steps to end the scourge and blight on our landscape of thousands of kids growing up in motels.