Hayes Joanne: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHayes Joanne: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 17 March 2015. Volume:704;Page:2263. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]4.JOANNE HAYES (National) to the Minister for Social Housing: What support is the Government providing to families in Christchurch in need of short-term housing?Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Housing): The Government has contracted with two community housing providers—VisionWest Community Trust and Comcare Trust—to provide vulnerable families and single people with short-term housing in Christchurch. The service which is already up and running is targeting people living in insecure housing such as tents and cars who need help to get back on their feet. People will be housed for an average of 8 weeks in individual properties for single people and in a leased motel for families. The community providers will link people with services to help them address issues that are holding them back and that could include drug and alcohol counselling mental health support budgeting or parenting support. This is an innovative solution made possible by community housing providers and the Government working together and being prepared to try new ways to work with people who are disadvantaged.Joanne Hayes: How will this initiative help families get into more sustainable housing?Hon PAULA BENNETT: This support is all about providing short-term relief so that we can then get them into more sustainable long-term housing. Providers work with them to develop plans to help them move into longer-term housing help them look for that home and help them with the bond and with what needs to be done. This includes getting families to pay up to 25 percent of their income while they are in the short-term housing but when they are ready to move on the community providers will give them that money back for use on things such as bond or moving costs. This means that we can actually sort out and clear some of their debt while they are there help them with budgeting pay the whole bill and when they move out they also have some cash.Joanne Hayes: What else is the Government doing to improve emergency housing in places other than Christchurch?Hon PAULA BENNETT: The Government is committed to improving emergency and short-term housing. We recently announced a $500000 boost to the sector and it will be announced shortly which providers that is going to. We are also working through a review of the emergency and short-term housing problems where we will be looking at the Christchurch example to see where else it can be rolled out to in New Zealand.Poto Williams: Does the Minister believe that providing short-term housing for 30 families is an adequate response when the 2013 census shows there are 2200 people living in temporary accommodation and Housing New Zealand has 504 people on priority waiting lists?Hon PAULA BENNETT: Well actually that is 30 at any one time and we envisage up to 240 people getting that short-term assistance over a 1-year period—so up to 500 people over the 2 years. What I would say is that of those who are on the wait list it is 92 of them who are in that kind of insecure housing. Others are in other situations so it is those 92 whom we see as being the most urgent. So I think that providing up to 240 places will make a real difference for those who are in need.