3. Housing Auckland—Affordability and Teacher SupplyANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterHousing Auckland—Affordability and Teacher Supply3. ANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement that it's not true" that teachers can't afford to buy a home in Auckland given many reports of teachers leaving Auckland due to housing costs and of principals struggling to fill vacancies?Hon PAULA BENNETT (Acting Prime Minister): I stand by my full statement which went on to say that "with the help from the HomeStart loans and … in my own electorate of Hobsonville Point [where] we are seeing [some] houses being built there at $460000 … there are opportunities for teachers like her." For many people it is a struggle to buy a house and that is exactly why the Government has a comprehensive suite of measures to get more houses built. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! The supplementary question please Mr Little.Andrew Little: Given he thinks housing is affordable for teachers in Auckland what does he say to Auckland teacher Melanie who wrote to me recently to say: "When I go back to work full-time I'll be lucky to afford rent let alone to buy a house and I am top of the pay scale."?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I think we accept that it can be a struggle for some families to purchase a home. It always has been particularly saving for the deposit. That is one of the reasons that we brought in the HomeStart loan and we have had more than 20000 people pick that up so far.Andrew Little: Given he thinks housing is affordable for teachers in Auckland what does he say to Auckland teacher Carol who also wrote to me recently and said: "It's sad to know I have no hope of ever owning a home. I don't know why I bothered to get qualified."?Hon PAULA BENNETT: As I said I do accept that it is a struggle for a lot of families—as it has been over the decades actually for some—to get into homeownership and to save a deposit and to then be able to afford that mortgage but I do not agree that there is no hope. I think that with the supply that is going on with the building consents that are being done and with the level of building we will see it getting better for people like her.Andrew Little: Given he thinks housing is affordable for teachers in Auckland what does he say to Auckland teacher Leondra who wrote to me to say she is "paying over a third of my pay per week on rent. How will I ever be able to afford my own home?"Hon PAULA BENNETT: As I said this Government's comprehensive plan to have more houses built particularly in Auckland is making a difference and will make it easier for people like her.Andrew Little: What does he say to Colin Dale principal of Murrays Bay Intermediate School who says: "I would say there definitely is a very serious teacher shortage. It's not just about the numbers but about the affordability of being able to live in an area where it is so expensive to rent even a room."?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I have been informed that the latest figures show that there were 127 teacher vacancies in Auckland in December which is around 1.5 percent of all teacher positions. Ten years ago there were over 300 vacancies and in the last year just 2 percent of permanent teachers in Auckland left the region to work elsewhere and the figure for the rest of New Zealand was also 2 percent.Andrew Little: When teachers have had a 6 percent nominal pay increase since 2013 but Auckland house prices are up 72 percent and rents are up 22 percent is life getting harder or easier for teachers due to National's housing crisis?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I would simply repeat that actually the figures do not stack up with the member's assertion that everyone is leaving Auckland and that teachers are leaving because of house prices there. Actually we are seeing just 2 percent of permanent teachers in Auckland leave the region to work elsewhere and people have left Auckland to work in other parts of New Zealand for decades.Andrew Little: Why are he and his deputy so out of touch that they insist buying a home in Auckland is affordable when teachers and principals are clearly saying that Auckland teachers are unable to afford to live as a result of their housing crisis?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I understand that my truthful answers are not fitting the member's rhetoric that he would like to run today and they are that we understand that it can be really hard for some families to save for a deposit for a house and that things in Auckland—we have certainly seen house prices. But it is going to be the policies and the work of this Government that are going to see those opportunities there for teachers."