9. Question No. 9—Housing (Homelessness)NICOLA WILLIS (National) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Homelessness)Question No. 9—Housing (Homelessness)9. NICOLA WILLIS (National) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Homelessness): How many written briefings if any has she received from officials recommending that the Government focus on exiting Emergency Housing Special Needs Grant accommodation and what concerns if any does she have about emergency accommodation?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing) on behalf of the Associate Minister of Housing (Homelessness): I have received six briefings that reflect the—Nicola Willis: Why'd you transfer?SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume her seat. Nicola Willis you've been around this place for a very long time. You do understand how transfers work and the thing that you'll really understand is that I don't do them. Start again please.Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: On behalf of the Associate Minister of Housing (Homelessness) I have received six briefings that reflect the Government priority to reduce motel use as quickly as possible while ensuring that people are safely housed. Of course we have concerns regarding the use of motels as a form of accommodation; however it is better than people living on the streets in tents and in cars. We know there is more to do. People who are experiencing homelessness have a right to shelter to safety to dignity and to support. That is exactly why we have a Homelessness Action Plan and are rolling out the largest public housing build programme in a generation because the best option is having long-term stable accommodation options for people. What I'm also concerned about is that it took until 2016 for the previous National Government to finally recognise that people living on the streets and in cars wasn't acceptable before they introduced the emergency housing special needs grant that the member refers to.SPEAKER: Order!Nicola Willis: Has she seen advice from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD) who advise in this document that they are not able to regulate for quality standards in emergency accommodation and it is therefore acceptable that 4000 families are currently raising their children in these motels?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: On behalf of the Associate Minister of Housing I can't see the document waved across the House by the member but I am familiar with advice that both the Associate Minister and my colleague the Minister of Housing have indeed seen that differentiates very clearly between the transitional housing that is administered by MHUD and the accommodation that is undertaken by people through emergency special needs grants through the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). We currently have a programme of work under way with MSD in areas of the highest use of motels to bring those two pieces together because we do agree these are not the places to raise children. But I also note that it wasn't until 2016 that the previous Government took this seriously. I'm proud of the fact that we've doubled transitional—SPEAKER: Order! Order! Order! The member knows that the tail end of both her answers are out of order. Doing it once is careless; doing it twice is getting very close to being in trouble.Nicola Willis: Is she aware of answers to written questions from Minister Sepuloni that show the Government does not centrally record reported incidents of family harm or criminal activity occurring in emergency housing and if so how does she know these motels are safe places for children to be?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I suggest that member put the question to the Minister that she's referring to in the beginning of her question.Nicola Willis: Does she agree with advice provided to the Minister of Housing by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development about emergency housing in Rotorua that The concentration of some lower-end emergency housing motels and the night shelter in the CBD is creating risks to public safety. At the same time individuals are not getting the support they need."?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: On behalf of the Associate Minister yes I have concerns about the situation in Rotorua. I'm also aware that the Minister of Housing does as well. This was exactly why in the last couple of weeks we asked officials to convene in Rotorua along with iwi and along with members of the local body authority in Rotorua to collectively find solutions and that work is progressing well. We are a Government that is taking action on homelessness.Nicola Willis: Which specific emergency accommodation providers has she visited since becoming Minister and can she guarantee to this House that they are safe places for children to be raised?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: On behalf of the Associate Minister I invite that member to put that in writing and I will get back to her."