The Government is falling badly behind on social housing, shrinking its own targets and offering no new funding despite growing homelessness.
“National has repackaged a reduced social housing budget and is now delivering fewer homes than it promised just months ago,” Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said.
“Budget 2025 promised up to 900 homes through the flexible funding model. Today that number has dropped to at best 770 - a pitiful response when homelessness is at record levels and emergency housing has been cut back.
“The Housing Investment Plan is nothing more than a rebrand – underfunded and underdelivering.
“In two years, the Government has delivered a mere 136 homes. Labour delivered 5299 homes in the two years before that. The contrast couldn’t be clearer.
“It’s also a kick in the guts for a struggling building sector as the introduction of leases from the private market shows a lack of emphasis on new builds.
“Rough sleepers are being pushed into shopfronts and community spaces nationwide, and now people are being told to wait years for a fraction of the homes Labour built. It’s ludicrous.
“With an excruciatingly limited pipeline of work, things look dire for both the sector and the New Zealanders this Government seems to have forgotten it serves,” Kieran McAnulty said.
