King: The Kiwi dream can be kept alive

The Kiwi dream of home ownership, affordable housing and security in older years can be and must be kept alive, says Labour’s Housing spokesperson Annette King.

Commenting on today’s Families Commission report that says poor quality and inadequate housing can be a barrier to vulnerable families seeking help, Annette King said she welcomed the Commission’s conclusions.

“Housing plays an enormous role in terms of improving health outcomes, reducing the impact of poverty, and creating jobs.

“Sadly, however, National treats the availability of affordable and quality housing as a low priority, in effect as an after-thought,” Annette King said.

“There are many wonderful examples around New Zealand of housing initiatives that are keeping the Kiwi dream alive.

“If the Government just looked at some of them, they might have a far better idea how they could go about improving home ownership and providing security for families that are particularly vulnerable right now.”

Annette King says she will spend the next 12 months taking stock of housing initiatives around New Zealand so that she can develop a cohesive and practical plan “to keep the Kiwi dream alive”.

“It has always been the Kiwi dream, and for much of our lifetime it has been realistically attainable,” Annette King said. “National has given up on the dream. Labour won’t do so.”