Mana Vice President John Minto

It’s obvious to most that if current Minister of Social Housing Paula Bennett or the Prime Minister’s mother had faced the sorts of hurdles today’s low-income families face then neither would be in leading political roles today.

State housing news last week was headlined with the National government decision to transfer 2,800 state houses in Auckland’s Tamaki area (Panmure, Point England and Glen Innes) to the Tamaki Redevelopment Company.

This was both part of the government’s plans to asset-strip state housing and the valuable crown land they occupy as well as a typically callous decision towards low-income tenants and families who are struggling as victims of National’s economic policies.

It was also a somewhat desperate bid to lend credibility to a policy left high and dry by the decisions of key social housing providers the Salvation Army and Methodist Mission to refuse to buy-in to the state house transfer policy.

But amid the welter of attacks on state housing and state house tenants launched by National over the past few years yet another hurdle is to be introduced for those in desperate need of affordable housing.

National has always been quick to say that although state house numbers will fall there will be an increase in “social housing” and government subsidies – the IRRS (Income Related Rental Subsidy) – will be available to those who would otherwise have access to a state house.

However in Treasury-released documents the Minister of Social Housing Paula Bennett indicates the government intention to cap the subsidy. Here’s how she puts it:

“Currently, a waitlisted client must wait for a suitable vacancy, and then they are housed.
Under the proposed capped model, the waitlisted client must wait for both a vacant property, and a ‘financial’ vacancy before they can be housed (eg. there must be funding available for the tenancy)”

And she goes on to say…

“…waitlisted clients may remain on the waitlist even though there are suitable vacant properties available”

So we face the prospect of empty state houses and empty social housing homes while people are forced to continue to live three families to a home or in cars, garages and cockroach-infested caravans.

It’s obvious to most that if current Minister of Social Housing Paula Bennett or the Prime Minister’s mother had faced the sorts of hurdles today’s low-income families face then neither would be in leading political roles today.

Smashing the steps on the social mobility ladder is central to National’s housing policy.