5. Question No. 5—HousingPAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai) to the Minister of HousingQuestion No. 5—HousingPAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai): What progress is the Government making on tackling the housing crisis?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing): Two years in and we're making substantial progress tackling the housing crisis. After years of the public housing stock—Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. How was that question verified?SPEAKER: I don't have the authentication right in front of me but I think if one had been listening to earlier questions one would have heard a number of figures which made the if any" which normally occurs in these superfluous. Paul Eagle ask the question again please.5. PAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai) to the Minister of Housing: What progress is the Government making on tackling the housing crisis?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing): Two years in and we're making substantial progress tackling the housing crisis. After years of the—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! Order! The only person who can speak for the remainder of this question is the Minister and any person asking a supplementary question. There will otherwise be silence. Start again please Dr Woods.Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Thank you Mr Speaker. Two years in and we're making substantial progress tackling the housing crisis. After years of the public housing stock declining we're now building more houses than any Government since the 1970s. This means that right now there are 3485 houses under construction across the Government build programme. We're not just building more houses; we're also focused on addressing homelessness supporting first-home buyers banning offshore speculators developing an offsite manufacturing industry ensuring there are enough skilled apprentices reforming the Resource Management Act and many other things. All of these initiatives will help but the reality is that the housing crisis we inherited was severe and there is still much to do and that's why we're committed to continuing to build on the progress we've made so far.Paul Eagle: What is the Government doing to address homelessness?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: For the second year in a row this Government has made tackling homelessness a priority. It's simply not good enough that families have been forced to sleep in cars and kids have to do their homework by torchlight. That's why Budget 2019 invested $197 million to roll out Housing First around New Zealand. This programme aims to break the cycle of homelessness by housing people and then connecting them with health and social services. I'm pleased to report there are now more than 1000 households engaged in that programme; that's 1000 families getting the support they need to ensure they reach their potential and avoid living in cars.Paul Eagle: What steps is the Government taking to help more New Zealanders into their first home?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Homeownership rates have been declining for many years and the dream of homeownership has been slipping away for more and more New Zealanders. This Government wants to see more New Zealanders in their own homes which is exactly why we've introduced a range of policies to support first-home buyers. We've expanded the eligibility for first-home grants and first-home loans to expand eligibility and enable intergenerational purchases; we've set aside $400 million for a progressive homeownership scheme to help more people into their first home; and we've reset the KiwiBuild programme to ensure the settings are right because on this side of the House we're committed to actually building affordable houses for first-home buyers and not just leaving it to the market. I'm pleased to report the latest October housing dashboard shows we've completed 239 KiwiBuild homes 562 are under construction and eligible buyers have purchased 303 houses in total. To us on this side of the House that represents lives changed.Hon Judith Collins: Of the 22 houses underwritten as KiwiBuild at Pegasus how many have been sold as KiwiBuild?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I don't have that information in the House with me but if the member wants to put it in writing I'll answer it.Hon Judith Collins: Isn't it correct that only one has been sold?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: As I said I don't have that information with me but if the member wants to put it in writing I'll answer it.Hon Judith Collins: How is homelessness being helped by an increase in average rentals by up to $60 a week under her Government?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: We're incredibly proud of the work that we are doing to tackle homelessness. We were not content for children to be growing up in cars. There are a range of factors that are driving rents up but the most important of those factors is a lack of supply and that is why we are a Government that is absolutely proud of the fact that more house are being built under this Government than there have been in decades. Homelessness is also driven by the lack of supply we have in our public housing stock. I do remind that member yet again that if when in Government they had built—SPEAKER: I've had enough and clearly five members on the other side have had enough too because they interjected during that answer. So that will be one supplementary down for each of those.David Seymour: Supplementary? Supplementary Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: Question No. 6—the Hon Judith Collins."