The National Party says it will build more social houses than Labour faster by allowing private community housing providers to compete for Government contracts with state landlord Kāinga Ora. 

It also says it will find a house for every person in emergency accommodation and ensure any future use keeps people in their local area - ending the practice of concentrating emergency housing in places like Rotorua. 

The housing plan, unveiled today, does not mention any timeframe for achieving either of these goals. 

The party is also pledging to reform Kāinga Ora, having been critical of the number of employees in the past, including ensuring the state landlord evicted unruly tenants. 

Housing spokesman Chris Bishop said despite Labour campaigning on ending the housing crisis in 2017 rents had increased, the social housing waitlist increased by almost 20,000 applicants, nearly 500 lived in cars, and the Government had spent $1.4 billion housing people in emergency housing motels. 

“Labour has catastrophically failed in housing,” he said. 

“Where Labour has failed, National will deliver.” 

Associate spokesman Tama Potaka said National would increase the number of social housing places funded by the Government and work much more closely with Community Housing Providers (CHPs) and other providers. 

“CHPs have been marginalised by a Labour government more interested in building the giant bureaucratic monolithic monopoly that is Kāinga Ora. 

“CHPs tend to be more nimble, more agile and provide better services to tenants. They are a vital part of the solution to our housing crisis.” 

National’s plan would give CHPs access to both Government capital and operational funding for new housing places, ending what he called the “institutional and political bias towards Kāinga Ora”. 

“We will also be much more willing to sign long-term contracts with CHPs, allowing them to access finance for new builds.” 

Bishop said National was also determined to end the use of emergency housing motels. 

National would prioritise families who have been in emergency housing for more than 12 weeks at the front of the queue for a social house. Currently nearly 500 applicants have spent over a year in emergency accommodation - typically motels - including 156 for over two years. 

National would also tighten eligibility criteria for emergency motels. Families receiving emergency housing grants would be required to use those grants in the area they are currently living, unless there a good reason not to. 

It would also create a Social Impact Bond through the Social Investment Fund to partner with providers who could shift families out of emergency housing into secure homes in the short-term – and keep them there in the long-term. 

An initial bond of $50 million would be established from unspent funding for Labour’s Emergency Housing over three years. 

“National will also reform Kāinga Ora, directing it to consult and engage more meaningfully with communities and evict anti-social tenants who cause mayhem in our communities,” Bishop said. 

“We will also commission an independent review into Kāinga Ora’s finances, procurement, development, and asset management practices within 100 days of taking office. 

“Delivering better social housing is an important part of the answer to ending New Zealand’s housing crisis. National will back the Community Housing sector and make it an urgent government priority to end the social and economic disaster that is emergency housing.”