Twyford Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTwyford Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 17 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13375. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—TeAtatū) to theMinister of Housing: Does he believe there is a housing affordability crisis in Auckland?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister of Housing): The best measure is the Roost Mortgage Brokers affordability index published monthly for each region which measures the proportion of income needed for a person earning the median income to pay the mortgage on a median-priced house. The least affordable time on record was in Auckland in December 2007 when it hit 101 percent. The Minister of Housing at the time Maryan Street said that that was not a crisis. It is currently at 76 percent in Auckland. This drop reflects the increase in incomes and the lowering of interest rates since December 2007. I actually believe that at over 100 percent it would be a crisis. At 76 percent it is very challenging and that is why this Government has so much work under way to make housing more affordable.Phil Twyford: I seek leave to table analysis from Quotable Value that shows that the price of the average home in Auckland has risen by 38 percent since December 2008.Mr SPEAKER: Where have you sourced the document?Phil Twyford: I have sourced this from Quotable Value. It is analysis that it has done.Mr SPEAKER: I will put the leave. That is the easiest way of sorting it out. Leave is sought to table such analysis from Quotable Value. Is there any objection to that course of action? There appears to be none. It can be so tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I seek leave of the House to table the Roost Mortgage Brokers house affordability index that shows that it was at 101 percent in December 2007 in Auckland—Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is a satisfactory explanation. Leave is sought to table the affordability index. Is there any objection to that course of action? There is none. It can be so tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Phil Twyford: Does he agree with the Government’s spokesperson on TV3’sThe Vote programme when he said that a $130000 deposit is not out of reach for the average first-home buyer?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: It would be helpful if the member correctly and fully quoted my colleague who made it plain that it would be a stretch. I also note that this Government has trebled the number of Welcome Home Loans and KiwiSaver home deposit subsidies to help families in that member’s electorate.Phil Twyford: Are there “plenty” of affordable homes in the electorate of Maungakiekie as stated by the Government’s spokesperson on that programme; if so will his Government policy to ration mortgages help or hinder first-home buyers to buy those affordable homes?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: In the first instance this Government on 1 October will treble—treble—the number of Welcome Home Loans and particularly increase them in the city of Auckland because we have real policies that will make a positive difference. I also note that last week the Auckland Council unanimously adopted the Auckland Housing Accord after that member said that it never would.Phil Twyford: Is he surprised that 72 percent of those who voted on that television programme supported the Opposition’s housing policies and only 28 percent voted for the Government’s housing policies; if so does he take such an overwhelming crushing rejection of his policies personally or is it that people just do not understand him?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The most telling part of the programme was the press release the day before it went to air from the Green Party saying that actually it was not really part of its policy to wreck the equity that most New Zealanders have in their home and apologising for the mistake.