4. Question No. 4—HousingTERISA NGOBI (Labour—Ōtaki) to the Minister of HousingQuestion No. 4—Housing4. TERISA NGOBI (Labour—Ōtaki) to the Minister of Housing: How is the Government's record public housing build programme increasing the supply of homes in regional New Zealand?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing): The Government is undertaking the largest State house building programme since the Walter Nash Government of the 1950s adding over more than 13000 net new public homes since 2017—including over 11000 brand new builds. One in six new homes have been added in the last six years. This is a significant achievement when you consider that the first homes started to be built in 1937. For the first time in many years we are building back public housing in the regions such as Wairarapa Rotorua Gisborne and Invercargill.Hon Kieran McAnulty: How is Wairarapa and the Tararua District benefiting from the Government's record social housing build?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Last month I opened 21 new public homes in Masterton with two new homes in Dannevirke. These mark the first State houses built in over two decades in this area. A further 100 new homes are also currently in the pipeline and due to be completed in the next few years across the Wairarapa and Tararua regions. This is in no small part due to the result of wonderful advocacy on the part of a tenacious and determined local MP.Tāmati Coffey: How many of the Government's new public homes are in Gisborne?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The Government has added 82 additional public homes in Gisborne since 2017. This is in stark contrast with the 2008 to 2017 period where the number of Housing New Zealand homes fell by 33 houses—but I am happy to report that approximately 300 new homes are currently in the pipeline and due to be completed in the next few years.Jamie Strange: How is the Waikato region benefiting from the Government's new public homes?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I'm pleased to report that our Government is making great progress rebuilding public housing in the mighty Waikato. We've delivered 850 additional public homes in the region over the past five years with over a thousand in the pipeline. When you compare this to a net loss of 172 homes under the previous Government between 2008 and 2017 it's clear that we are not only rebuilding but adding hundreds more homes.Chris Bishop: How many of the promised 100000 KiwiBuild houses have been built in regional New Zealand and is the number larger or smaller than the number of extra Kāinga Ora staff added to the public housing supply in the last six years?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The primary question was of course about public housing something I'm sure that member—coming from a party with his party's record on public housing—wouldn't want to ask a question about. But I'm happy to confirm to that member: the number of KiwiBuild or affordable first homes in New Zealand is far larger by many magnitudes than his Government achieved—100 affordable homes over nine years in Government; we have over 3000 homes delivered.Dr Liz Craig: How many of the Government's new public homes are in Invercargill?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The Government has added 30 additional public homes in Invercargill since 2017 with an additional 57 new homes in the pipeline. Though this is great progress it's unfortunate that we're just making up for the 2008 to 2017 period where the number of Housing New Zealand homes fell by 77 houses. Our public housing homes in Southland are some of the oldest in the country so it is important that we continue to deliver new housing. An example of this is the recent completion of 13 two-bedroom homes in Appleby Invercargill.