Should really be a double face-palm
Respected analyst Rodney Dickens has published a devastating critique of National’s housing policy, and says Labour’s policies give more hope, says Labour’s Housing spokesperson Phil Twyford.
“Mr Dickens shows since the signing of the Auckland Housing Accord in 2013 the housing crisis has got worse on every indicator: house prices are up 45 per cent, land prices up 52 per cent, and building costs up 36 per cent.
“He says runaway housing costs mean ‘10 steps have been taken backwards in terms of improving Auckland housing affordability before any progress has been made…’
“The Special Housing Areas were National’s flagship housing policy. They utterly failed to significantly increase the supply of housing. Auckland is still building 5000 fewer homes each year than it needs, and a shortfall of 40,000 homes has built up on National’s watch.
“No wonder Rodney Dickens says he is sceptical of how much and how quickly National’s policies will improve Auckland housing affordability.
However much you like to dislike Chinky Twyford and his relentless harping on about housing problems, he does have the advantage of being able to point at the cost of inaction due to National’s hands-off approach.
But where it all goes wrong is here:
“Labour will build 100,000 affordable homes for first home buyers, tax speculators, ban foreign buyers, reform the planning rules, and build state houses instead of selling them off,” says Phil Twyford.
Nobody believes a word of it.
We all know there aren’t 100,000 locations ready to be built on. Nor do we have the people that will build them. And if Labour’s immigration changes kick in, we’ll have even fewer people that will build them. All that before we even visit the “affordable” part.
100,000 is just a ridiculous number. Nobody’s buying it. Labour continues to have a credibility crisis, but we’re safe because they’ll never declare it.
