Our 2011 election manifesto - Labour Party

Labour will work with third sector organisations who can assist tenants to sustain
tenancies in both the public and private sector. Housing New Zealand will be directed
to develop relationships with NGOs that can better support tenants with special
needs e.g. disabled, elderly, mental health clients, homeless, youth etc.
Labour will, as finances allow, devolve the income related rent subsidy to not for
profit community housing organisations which provide social housing.
Labour will act swiftly to restore charitable status to the community housing sector
under the Charities Act.
Improved Urban Planning
Cities are where many of us spend most of our lives. At best, they can be exciting,
accessible places, with high amenity, quality public spaces, and affordable, quality living
environments. At worst, they are the places where shonky developers build nasty
apartments and poorer neighbourhoods become ghettoes where landlords alone prosper:
while public spaces and amenities are run down, ugly, deserted, and ordinary people are
squeezed out of homeownership and quality rental accommodation.
Labour will champion high quality urban design. We will give local government the
tools to drive better design of our built environment, not only downtown but in every
suburb and neighbourhood.
Labour will find new ways to work together with housing sector actors, and leadership
to improve urban planning and regulating. Labour will provide that leadership,
listening to stakeholders, making their Kiwi dream more possible.
Labour is committed to the Tamaki Transformation programme and Housing New
Zealand's community renewal programmes.
Canterbury housing
Following the devastating Canterbury earthquakes, housing has become one of the major
issues for residents.
Access to affordable land is critical if Cantabrians from the red zone are to rebuild their lives.
National‟s buyout deal has put an extra 6,000 new home buyers into the market but done
nothing to ensure there are affordable options available. The resulting increases in property
prices are leaving many homeowners unable to afford to re-purchase property.
Labour will purchase land sufficient for an initial tranche of 1,500 affordable
properties to be made available for on-selling, at cost, to red zone homeowners. If
there is excess demand, Labour will look to ballot the available land parcels.
There is no obligation on the current 6,000 red zone residents to take up this offer. However,
the offer will benefit all residents by taking excessive developers‟ margins out of the equation
and directly moderating property prices across the market.
297