8. Homelessness—Government Response and Cross-party InquiryPHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to the Minister for Social HousingHomelessness—Government Response and Cross-party Inquiry8. PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to the Minister for Social Housing: Does she agree with the Prime Minister when he said We've actually got quite a strong plan for dealing with the homelessness issue I don't think we need a summit …"?Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Housing): Yes. We have an extensive work plan that is going on particularly with emergency housing but also with that pipeline of social houses that are coming through. We are the first Government to actually fund emergency housing providers. That is already making a big difference and of course we have got a lot more work that we are progressing as we go.Phil Twyford: Is that plan the one that includes paying people to get out of town flying squads that do not exist block-booking motels and hiring international consultants to propose things like putting the homeless in army barracks tents and warehouses?Hon PAULA BENNETT: Predominantly the plan is about us building more social houses particularly in Auckland where they are most needed. We can see that pipeline of build coming through. We can see more community housing providers getting involved and actually building more. We can see the support that is going on around emergency housing. It is an announcement that this Government has made about supporting the Housing First initiative where we see that going to be rolled out within west Auckland central Auckland and South Auckland which of course will make a huge difference as well.Phil Twyford: Is it ambitious for New Zealand that after 8 years of her Government there are 16000 people in paid work or study who are homeless?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I simply do not agree that there are 16000 people who are homeless. But what I would say is that you can see more work going on in this area than ever before and that we have New Zealanders who are living in a better quality of home because of the rebuild programme that is going on. In the member's own electorate there is a massive rebuild programme that is really making a difference. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Hon Gerry Brownlee I also need to now ask you to make substantially fewer interjections. You have been very vocal throughout question time and it is not helpful to the order of this House.Phil Twyford: Are we still on the cusp of something special when most homeless are families with children according to the latest independent research from Otago University?Hon PAULA BENNETT: That is simply not true so it is simply not true actually for the numbers that are—Hon Member: The research is wrong!Hon PAULA BENNETT: Actually the research is wrong so let us get it absolutely right. If you break down the figures there are simply not 41000 people in a situation most New Zealanders would call homelessness or living rough. For example the number of people living rough or in an impoverished dwelling was 1413 in 2013 and it is now down slightly in 2016.Phil Twyford: Why will she not admit that she is not coping and that her response to homelessness is farcical and will she reconsider the invitation to join the Cross-Party Homelessness Inquiry so that she can find some lasting solutions to this crisis?Mr SPEAKER: There are two supplementary questions there.Hon PAULA BENNETT: While that member is getting emotive I am getting on with action. Actually there is more going on in this area than there ever has been before. We take the issues around housing some of our least fortunate very very seriously. We can see progress happening more money being spent and more attention on this than ever before.Marama Davidson: How could she claim in response to my question on Tuesday that the reason the Government did not join the Cross-Party Homelessness Inquiry is that "We did it over 10 months ago." when she said in answer to written questions from May this year that she had no research into the cost to the taxpayer of homelessness or any idea as to what the levels of homelessness actually are?Hon PAULA BENNETT: Because they are completely different questions.Marama Davidson: Will the Government join us at the remaining inquiry hearings given the words from a father who was living homeless under her watch and who now volunteers at Te Puea Marae who said: "What's John Key going to do? He should be here looking at the problem. You fellas are looking at the problem."?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I am sure that what Te Puea Marae has also been saying is that it got extensive support from this Government with actually a number of officials who were on the ground there every single day to help those families as they came forward and they are still working with them. So this Government is actually taking it seriously and is making a difference."