Harawira Hone: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Harawira Hone: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 07 November 2012. Volume:685;Page:6359. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
10. 
HONE HARAWIRA (Leader—Mana) 
 to the  
Minister of Housing 
: Why is he persisting with the reduction of State houses including in Glen Innes at a time when there is a growing need for decent affordable housing for low-income families? 
Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON (Minister for Building and Construction) 
 on behalf of the Minister of Housing: The member’s assertion is just simply not correct. As of 30 June this year there were 645 more State houses than when we came into Government. 
Hone Harawira 
: Does the Minister believe that the Government’s housing policy which is specifically designed around reducing the State housing stock in favour of private rentals and property options for the rich and forcing people to leave their homes and their communities will actually solve the current housing crisis for low-income families; if not what other policy options is his Government considering? 
Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON 
: That is an indication of a member who has written a supplementary question before he has heard the answer to the first question. I will repeat it again. As at 30 June this year there were 645 more State houses than when we came into Government. How can the member keep asserting that we are reducing the number of State houses? 
Hone Harawira 
: Do those figures include the reduction of State houses in Glen Innes the sale of those properties to property developers and the moving out of those State housing clients to other properties without returning those properties to State housing again? 
Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON 
: The 645 extra State houses include all of that. But can I tell the member that in Glen Innes the project will see 156 State housing properties redeveloped to create at least 260 new properties including 78 fit for purpose State rental properties and at least 40 market-based affordable homes. These new homes will be modern they will be safe they will be warm and they will be configured for people’s needs. In fact a number of people from Glen Innes are now complaining about protestors coming from outside of the area and mucking up their suburb. 
Hon Annette King 
: Can he confirm that there are currently 3358 vacant Housing New Zealand Corporation homes even though the waiting lists are growing month by month especially in Auckland and in Hawke’s Bay; and does he agree with his Associate Minister of Housing who said recently that having empty houses while New Zealanders are living in cars and garages is totally unacceptable? 
Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON 
: What I can tell that member is that there is always a problem of too many houses in a place where the demand is low and not enough houses in places where demand is high. But can I tell her that the current level of vacant stock in the Housing New Zealand Corporation portfolio is around 2 percent. This compares very favourably with the private sector. Historically this rate has always been around 1 to 2 percent even when that member’s party was in Government.