SpeechHousingANGIE WARREN-CLARK (Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee): Thank you Madam Chair. As the chair of the Social Services and Community Committee it is my pleasure to lead off the Estimates examination for Vote Housing and Urban Development. Firstly I'd like to acknowledge our committee including the clerks; the officials from across the Vote; the Minister of Housing the Hon Megan Woods; and the Associate Minister of Housing (Homelessness) the Hon Marama Davidson for appearing before the select committee.Vote Housing and Urban Development has a total Vote of $4.577 billion in 2022-23 an increase of 36 percent from last year. I'm pleased to read the report for the breakdown of figures that make up this significant Vote. We interrogated the public housing wait-list growth learning that the list has slowed but is still significant. The Minister advised that the wait-list is contingent on many interrelated factors. The Minister said that the Government remains on target to provide 18350 new public and transitional houses by 2024.We discussed the proportion of private versus public housing. We observed a three-way split in housing developments between the market affordable and public housing. The Minister noted this proportion was necessary for creating strong and mixed communities. She also said there has been significant building at a nationwide level including housing in communities that had not seen new public housing for decades.We asked the Minister about Kāinga Ora's building programme. In March 2021 the Government announced a housing reset including $3.8 billion for the Housing Acceleration Fund to unlock more land. Kāinga Ora was granted an additional $2 billion of lending to acquire and develop land to increase housing supply. We noted from June 2021 to May 2022 that there was a net gain of 21 new houses. The Minister told us that the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund funding was going into infrastructure development and that there will be 1815 homes completed shortly. The Minister emphasised that a decade of under-investment by the previous Government and inadequate infrastructure had been a sizable barrier. We heard that the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund represents the biggest Government spend in infrastructure since the 1970s. We heard that 35 proposals are being considered and are expected to increase homes by another 35000. The Minister acknowledged significant constraints and delays through COVID in particular in Auckland but said she is still pleased with the pace of delivery.The Minister told us about three large-scale projects in Porirua Mangere and Mount Roskill with significant numbers of houses being developed. We asked the Minister about the cost of building and maintenance. Kāinga Ora advised that the cost to build had risen by 40 percent over the last five years. We noted that there had been an increase in Kāinga Ora staff and the Minister advised us that the function and role of staff had expanded significantly. We asked the Hon Marama Davidson about the Homelessness Action Plan with a review being issued in March 2022. The Associate Minister noted that there had been good progress but more focus on young people and kaupapa Māori solutions was needed. We observed that over half of homeless people are under 25. Emergency and transitional housing was discussed including the Rotorua emergency housing situation. We heard about the response for this situation with the Rotorua housing hub pilot Te Pokapū.We asked about Māori-led housing solutions. The Minister updated us on Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga. We heard there are a number of partnerships with iwi across the country including a mix of affordable public and papakāinga housing and increasing employment and skills training.Finally Budget 2022 proposes $208 million to help people into homeownership with interest-free loans through the Progressive Home Ownership scheme. It also provides $138 million for first-home grant subsidies. We recommend that Vote Housing and Urban Development for the year ending 30 June 2023 be accepted. Thank you.