John Minto SHAN Convenor

State Housing Action Network (SHAN) has written to the IHC urging it not to buy state housing from the government (see letter pasted below)

IHC has emerged as the most likely buyer of over 1000 state houses in Tauranga.

The government wants to sell to a single buyer and the IHC property arm, Accessible Properties, says it wants them all.

IHC has a long history of supporting families with disability issues but if it purchases or leases state housing it will undermine its own history and help the government abdicate its responsibility for housing low-income families.

IHC would not support Victorian-era approaches and attitudes to people with disabilities so neither should they support the National government returning housing for low-income families to Victorian times when the only options were charities and churches.

SHAN has also written in similar vein to iwi groups the government has given “first refusal” on purchasing state houses: Ngati Ranginui, Ngai Tahu, Nga Potiki o Tamapahore Trust, Mangatawa-Papamoa Blocks Inc