Bradford Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Bradford Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:652;Page:1482] 
10.  
SUE BRADFORD (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Housing 
: What changes is the Government planning to the Housing Innovation Fund and the Rural Housing Programme? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Housing) 
: 
 As promised in National’s manifesto we will be increasing the Housing Innovation Fund’s capital funding from $12 million to $20 million. Labour did not budget for the Rural Housing Programme for the current year. Unfortunately the Housing New Zealand Corporation is having to fund the programme out of its own income. We are talking to the Maori Party and iwi groups about how this type of scheme can continue in a different form but certainly with scale and can provide new houses such as those in papakainga housing developments perhaps through the Housing Innovation Fund. 
Sue Bradford 
: What is the Minister’s response to Northland District Health Board member Craig Brown who has raised concerns that the rural health programme may not continue past June this year despite poor housing being one of the most serious health issues in Northland? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: I agree with Mr Brown that health issues are associated with housing rural housing Maori housing and State housing. That is why this Government was shocked to find that the Housing New Zealand Corporation had become a slum landlord under the previous Government. 
Sue Bradford 
: Can the Minister guarantee that the increased funding he announced for the Housing Innovation Fund which the Green Party welcomed will not take away funding from existing programmes like the Rural Housing Programme? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: The Rural Housing Programme is not currently funded through the Housing Innovation Fund; they are two different income streams. In terms of the Housing Innovation Fund increases all I have ever had is people praising the fact that we are putting more money in. We are going to put it into organisations that have a track record that have an asset base and that can deliver more housing for more people with scale. 
Sue Bradford 
: How does the Minister expect most community sector housing groups to survive if their capacity grants and feasibility funding are removed which is what has been suggested for the Housing Innovation Fund; and if the fund is going to be available only for capital costs where else does he think community sector housing groups including iwi and hapu groups are going to get their funding from? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: I am advised by colleagues that Labour gave undefined capacity grants in a number of areas for no reason and with no accountability. In the housing area we will be giving capacity grants only to those groups that have a track record that have assets such as money or land or other properties and that have provided housing in the past. The message is: “If you have no capacity there will be no grants.” 
Sue Bradford 
: Does the Minister not understand that if community sector organisations including hapu and iwi organisations do not have infrastructure and capacity funding and the ability to do feasibility studies on projects they will not be able to achieve anything even though the community housing sector is such a potentially rich source of jobs that meet real and desperate housing needs? 
Hon PHIL HEATLEY 
: We are happy to provide capacity grants to groups that are going to provide houses and that are proven to have provided houses in the past. We are not going to feed the endless groups that mushroomed up under Labour for no reason. They have to deliver houses—real roofs for real families under real pressure.