Ngaro AlfredHon ALFRED NGARO (Associate Minister for Social Housing): I rise to answer some of the questions but also to talk a bit more about the housing programme that has been taken under Budget 2017. The member was talking about the KiwiSaver HomeStart package. He is correct. In the Estimates it talks about in a sense the ability to engage more. The product itself has a forecast of around 90000 people whom it can help into homes and mortgages.Just for the member's information—he was asking in regard to the number of Pasifika. In the first reading that we had in regard to the first year of the KiwiSaver HomeStart package that was delivered there were just over 11000 who accessed that package. Those who identified as Pacific and only those—there were possibly more—were around about 544. Just for the member's information that is information I can give to him. In the first year it is 544. We are going to try to get another reading and again as the member knows it is voluntary in regard to the people identifying themselves as Pacific. Potentially there were more. So I think that would be helpful for the member.The thing about this package—the member will remember that there was a time in the 1970s when people could actually capitate their welfare for their children and through that benefit that was part of a contribution to the deposit on a house.Aupito William Sio: And that's not happening any more.Hon ALFRED NGARO: Well that actually went out under a Labour Government so I will not say that just so the member knows. It actually went out under a Labour Government not under a National Government. It abolished it and for good reason. It was unsustainable. If the member looks back at the history of it it was unsustainable so as the member said it was taken off.The point that the member makes though about this is that we want to encourage more people to gain access to that. I think part of it is around the information that we give to people. Many people may not know that part of the eligibility criteria that the Government has given is if a person is 18 years and over and if a person does not own a home or land. So there are a number of criteria and I think we can do better at getting that information out so that more people can access it. We are proud of the fact that so far there are around about 27000 people who have taken up that opportunity and who now have a mortgage as well.The member was also raising the issue around the Government taking up the cause in regard to methamphetamine. There were some constituents potentially some people whom the member may have known who had concerns around the methamphetamine readings that were inside their Housing New Zealand homes. Just for the member's information the Government has been working with Standards New Zealand. It put together a key stakeholder reference group. That reference group has now put together a report.In that reference group there are those from the insurance industry; there are those who actually monitor and measure; there are those who are in the regulating authorities so the territorial authorities; and there are those in the development sector as well. So it is a cross-section of those in the whole of the building and development sector as well and the tenancy management space. Out of that there has been an agreement so the measure that there is—before there was a graduated measure of three phases three steps. It is now set at 1.5 micrograms per 100 centimetres squared. So that is the recording aspect of what they have. The agreement right across the board is that this is a standard that the whole of the sector can now work with. So just for the member's information that has been completed now and it has been taken on board as the standard that can be used in regard to methamphetamine.The member talked about potential constituents whom they have been working with. As the member will know he will advocate for those. I am sure that the Government is more than happy to be able to address those issues if there are constituents who feel that those issues have not been met. I think that is really important.But I just want to talk about—there are many great things that have come out of Budget 2017 and the Estimates hearing. In particular there were some speeches that talked about the issues around the challenges that are currently faced. Under this Government we know that we support the whole of the housing continuum from our most chronically homeless to those who are in need of a little bit of extra help. In that regard it is important again that one of the announcements that I think is critically important is the $16.5 million to expand the Housing First initiative. Members of the Opposition will know that this was part of the inquiry that they had taken part in and it was one of the first recommendations that was made in regard to addressing the issues of homelessness.Prior to that inquiry though there was a 2-year pilot. That pilot was in the Waikato area. We know that The Wise Group with people like Julie Nelson who were taking the lead in that space truly had some remarkable ability to be able to engage with those who are chronically homeless. The retention to residency rate was at 95 percent. So because the results were for us astounding—they were truly making a difference—we have now taken that on board hence the announcement in the 2017 Budget was to be able to expand that further on as well. That has now been expanded into the Auckland region. So that is an announcement of $16.5 million. I can say to members that the target is 400 and out of that so far we have just under 100 that have now been taken on board and again the retention to residency is around 100 percent. But here is what I think is actually critically important: the ability to be able to engage not in social housing or emergency housing but actually in private rentals by the Housing First initiative which is at 92 percent. There is 92 percent private residency as we are now seeing those who are chronically homeless in that place as well. We think that is quite a critically important announcement as well.I want to talk about the $175.2 million that was put in funding for emergency housing and transitional housing. We know that last year the announcement was made that the $304 million—the first of any Government to say that we are going to take up this challenge we are going to be serious about this. So therefore we know that is continued on in Budget 2017. So it is $175.2 million for funding in emergency and transitional housing. For the member who is sitting for Māngere I just let him know that on Friday in the partnership with the Penina Health Trust the Pasifika health trust that has come on as the first community housing provider we will be launching an announcement of some of the tenancy management that it will be taking on board as well.So this Government is doing great things in regard to working in partnership with community housing providers and I know the member will be interested. This is a Pacific—and the first Pacific—community housing provider that is taking on this partnership. Penina Health Trust is making a difference—Aupito William Sio: How many people are going to live in that?Hon ALFRED NGARO: It is 21 rooms under that facility which will truly make a difference. The member will know that there are other community housing providers such as STRIVE Community Trust which is doing some great work—so Sharon Wilson-Davis and her work—and Bill Peace whom the member will know. They are doing great work in their community. What this Government realised is that it is actually the partnership with those community providers that is truly making a difference and we think that is critically important as well.We know the fact is that we need to through this emergency housing and our goal—we set targets and goals so that by the end of this year it is 2150. We are currently at close to 1600 places available now for emergency and transitional housing and that is the commitment that this Government has been making as well. We know that by 2020 this Government will have increased the supply of social housing from 66000 to 72000 places in Auckland alone. We will deliver 13500 new social homes. Can I remind the Opposition that in the inquiry the second recommendation it made was to increase the State housing stock the social housing stock. Again this Government has seen that anyway knew that was there so in a sense in the arguments from the Opposition we know that we are making a difference we have increased the housing stock and that is making a difference as well. So that is an extra 13500—13500—that it is going to be increased by 2020.We also know when we look at the Crown land capital funding that is an extra $100 million in new capital to be used to fund 1200 new houses as part of the new Crown land development programme in Auckland alone over the next 10 years. I think it is important because these figures—not so much for the members across the Chamber but for those who are listening they will be wanting to hear what things we are committing ourselves to in the Estimates and the Budget to make a difference to address the challenges of housing that exist in our community as well. The Crown Land Programme is fiscally neutral over its lifetime. Upfront funds are used to cover the cost of the housing and the land as well. Once the homes on this land are built and sold—or in the same instances earlier—the Crown recoups the prices of the land as well. The Government has committed to 20 percent of the homes being available for social housing and a further 20 percent as affordable—defined as more than the KiwiSaver HomeStart package.I want to give another example. Again the member who spoke previously will know that in Manurewa there is the Waimahia Inlet project where we are again working with the New Zealand Housing Foundation and out of that we know that there were families that were housed. There were families who came along and thought at first that they were not going to be affordable. Well with the New Zealand Housing Foundation and a commitment from the developer and also from the Government which put its contribution in we were able to see over 200 families be able to access affordable homes in that area as well. People said it could not be done. This is the commitment that this Government has made over that period of time.We think that these are significant. They are important. They are taking up the challenge that we know is critically important to all New Zealanders—that we provide a home that is warm and that is dry for our families.