5. Emergency Housing—Community Housing Providers and Government InitiativesPHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to the Minister for Social HousingEmergency Housing—Community Housing Providers and Government Initiatives5. PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to the Minister for Social Housing: Does she agree with Monte Cecilia Housing Trust chief executive Bernie Smith that the Government lacks a cohesive emergency housing plan and Salvation Army social policy director Ian Hutson who says permanent accommodation is still lacking?Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Housing): No and because actually I think $300 million more going into emergency housing is a comprehensive and cohesive emergency housing plan. Also my cup is half full. I see the quote from Bernie Smith that says: I think it's amazing—$300 million over the next 4½ years for emergency housing." I hear the words of Ian Hutson from the Salvation Army: "$300 million to support people in severe housing need is very welcome."Phil Twyford: Why did she reject the invitation to join a cross-party round table to consider the recommendations of the homelessness inquiry given that her policy will provide only 2200 emergency housing places at any one time when there are 41000 Kiwis homeless and in severe housing deprivation according to Otago University?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I probably did not join because I was busy actually doing something about the problem and not just yet again reassessing it. I think it is really important to the House that it is cleared up that those 41000 people that Otago University refers to are actually not homeless. Many of them actually do have a roof over their heads and do not require emergency housing. They may be requiring more permanent housing of course which we have got coming through in the pipeline but it is not actually the emergency housing that they need.Phil Twyford: How can she say that she is delivering already on the recommendations of the cross-party inquiry when she is delivering only half the emergency housing that is needed she has reduced the number of State houses there is no systemic fix to the housing crisis no commitment to a national strategy to end homelessness and she does not even accept the Government's own definition of homelessness?Hon PAULA BENNETT: If that was the case then the member himself put out a policy in July that was actually for fewer beds than what the Government announced on Monday. So in July the member put out a policy saying that there would be 1400 beds. National put out a policy on Monday fully funded for 1400 places which is very different—more than what his whole policy is about.Phil Twyford: Why are thousands of emergency housing beds needed when the Prime Minister says there are not thousands of "real homeless people" and as he said the homeless people do not want help?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I think as I clearly stated of that big number of 41000 that the member bandies around those are people who may be living in some unsatisfactory conditions but they are actually not truly homeless under the definition as most people would see it. This side of the House has a comprehensive housing plan one that is actually fully funded—so $300 million for those 1400 places as opposed to the $15 million that included no services no tenancy management and no actual building of new supply which that member tried to do.Phil Twyford: Does she not see that it will be expensive and ultimately fruitless to just take a welfare approach through the provision of emergency housing to a market failure that has left 41000 Kiwis homeless and in severe housing deprivation and would it not make more sense to also massively increase the supply of affordable and State housing as Labour promises to do?Hon PAULA BENNETT: Well I have another bit of good news for the member himself. As I have repeatedly said social housing is increasing by more than 3000 new houses over the next few years alone we have put another $120 million into supporting community housing providers to build their supply and we are now making sure that we have it in the emergency housing area as well. No one not even that member can argue that we do not have a comprehensive social housing programme all under way."