Mackey Moana: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Mackey Moana: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:664;Page:11880] 
12. 
MOANA MACKEY (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Housing 
: What initiatives in Budget 2010 will guarantee that all New Zealanders have access to appropriate and affordable housing? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Housing) 
: 
 We are committed to assisting those most in need. The most significant Budget commitments we made were the income rents subsidy of $560 million helping over 60000 families; the accommodation supplement of $1.2 billion helping 250000 individuals; and the one-third of a billion dollars committed to insulating private homes helping 180000 people. 
Moana Mackey 
: How does slashing the budget for acquisition and improvement of State houses by more than 80 percent and slashing the Healthy Housing programme by 62 percent help achieve this goal particularly for those people like the young woman waiting for a kidney transplant highlighted in yesterday’s  
Dominion Post 
 who has been waiting for an appropriate Housing New Zealand Corporation home for more than a year? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: When we took over the Government benches we found that the State housing stock had been left in serious disrepair. As part of the stimulus package to help the country through the recession we decided to inject $120 million into repairing State houses and acquiring some more. That is now coming to an end. We are now at a more constant funding level. We will be upgrading up to 8000 houses in the next 12 months. 
Hekia Parata 
: Tena koe Mr Speaker. How many New Zealanders have been supported in buying their own homes this year through the extended Welcome Home Loan scheme? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: From 1 July 2009 to May 2010 1660 Welcome Home Loans were settled which translates to access to home finance of $348 million for 2500 New Zealanders. 
Moana Mackey 
: That applause will make him feel better. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I must have missed something. I have no idea what went on there but all I know is that the House was totally disorderly and disrespectful to the member I have called Moana Mackey. 
Moana Mackey 
: Does he agree with the figure provided to the Social Services Committee by the Housing New Zealand Corporation that only a net 282 homes will be added to the State housing stock over the next year; and does he believe that is adequate to address the growing Housing New Zealand Corporation waiting list which now stands at nearly 11000 400 of whom are in severe housing need? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: A range is given of I think between 242 and 302 State houses that will be acquired that year. We are not only acquiring State houses but also upgrading them because we do not believe that current tenants should live in shabby conditions just so that we can acquire new houses as happened under the previous Government. 
Moana Mackey 
: If the Housing New Zealand Corporation is not able to “sharpen their pencil” and find savings out of baselines to acquire and maintain State houses will the acquisitions and maintenance work not happen? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: I have already made it clear that up to 8000 State houses will be upgraded in one form or another over the next 12 months and we will be increasing our State housing stock.