Ministry will help Government deliver its 'bold and ambitious plan to create modern and liveable cities'
Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phil Twyford has announced the establishment of a new Ministry to help the Government deliver on its KiwiBuild pledges, and to help realise the Government’s priorities of increasing affordable housing.
The Ministry will offer advice on issues including housing, homelessness and affordable, warm and safe rental housing in the private and public market, and will also focus on providing appropriate support for first-home buyers. According to Twyford, the Ministry will provide the Government with “strong leadership and fresh thinking,” and will “end the current fragmented approach caused by involving a number of agencies.”
“Addressing the national housing crisis is one of the biggest challenges our Government faces,” Twyford said. “The new Ministry will provide focus and capability in the public service to deliver our reform agenda.”
“Too many New Zealanders are hurting because of their housing situation,” he said. “Many are locked out of the Kiwi dream of home ownership. Others are homeless or suffering the health effects of poor-quality housing.”
The Ministry will initially be set up by moving various functions across from existing agencies, and will consider utilising funding from their current operational budgets. Functions likely to form a part of the new Ministry are the housing and urban policy functions, the KiwiBuild Unit and the Community Housing Regulatory Authority from MBIE, with the Ministry for Social Development and the Treasury also contributing several of their own departments.
“The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development will help us deliver our bold and ambitious plan to build much-needed affordable housing, and create modern and liveable cities ready for the future,” Twyford stated.
The newly-established Ministry will be established from 1 August, and will officially start operating on 1 October.
