7. Social Housing—Community Housing ProvidersPHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to the Minister for Social HousingSocial Housing—Community Housing Providers7. PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to the Minister for Social Housing: Does she agree with the Minister responsible for HNZC that one of the groups producing social housing in the next 2 years will be community housing providers—which are contracted to the Ministry of Social Development"; if so how many houses will they be completing in the next 2 years?Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Housing): Yes I do agree with the Minister responsible for HNZC. Contracting with community housing providers is an important part of our comprehensive plan on housing. We have over 500 new social housing places over the next 3 years in Auckland—that is a mix of new builds and leases. We also have Budget 2016 which provided for another 750 places over the next 4 years. Also another 330 houses are forecast to be completed by the end of 2017 from the Social Housing Fund; I could not give that completed number within 2 years because there is a mix of things going on.Phil Twyford: Does she accept that the 500 places that she cited for community housing providers is a relatively small amount given the unmet need and that if she had not sold off 2500 State houses since 2011 and failed to build to the targets there would be thousands fewer people living in cars and garages now?Mr SPEAKER: Two supplementary questions—the Hon Paula Bennett.Hon PAULA BENNETT: There are a range of reasons for why we have not got more houses being built—and faster—in Auckland and there is not just one solution to that which is why we have such an in-depth and comprehensive plan around it. What I will say is that community housing providers do a fantastic job. It is hard for them as it is with any homebuyer or builder to actually be coming up with the deposits—that is why the Government is supporting them.Phil Twyford: Given the unprecedented surge in families living homeless on her watch does she believe that her $10 million a year promise for emergency housing which she had to admit will mostly fund existing places is anything like enough?Hon PAULA BENNETT: Last year we put in $2.5 million and as the member says an extra $41 million in this Budget alone. We recently announced 14 providers one of which is the Salvation Army which is getting $1.2 million which will make a huge difference for it in the services it can provide. The next tranche is currently out. We expect those to be in by 13 July. We will be making further announcements at the end of the month and within that we will see a number of new beds that will be available as well.Phil Twyford: Why will she not support a cross-party parliamentary inquiry into the causes and solutions for homelessness or does she think the Government has the situation fully under control?Hon PAULA BENNETT: We have a range of initiatives—some that are already implemented some that we are implementing and some that are still in the negotiating stages—all of which will make a huge difference in the issues of homelessness and emergency housing and that is what we want to concentrate on.Phil Twyford: Did she instruct her caucus colleagues on the Social Services Committee to vote against the motion for an inquiry into homelessness given that they had been supportive of an inquiry?Mr SPEAKER: I will allow the Minister to answer but it was a pretty marginal question.Hon PAULA BENNETT: No I did not instruct the caucus to do anything. We had a discussion and we came to it as a collective."