A New Zealand State Housing Action Network (SHAN) has organised a public meeting in Tauranga to give the local community the opportunity to discuss the Government's plans to sell thousands of state houses.
Minister of Social Housing Paula Bennett said the government will be starting with Tauranga and Invercargill so that is where SHAN is starting its campaign to inform communities about the policy and begin campaigning to stop to sell off.
The Tauranga meeting will be held on Thursday at 6pm at Merivale Community Centre.
"We think these two cities have been chosen because the Government thinks locals will not put up a fight to stop the sell off. We think the government is wrong and we think the citizens of Tauranga and Invercargill will unite against this policy,'' convenor John Minto said.
"If the Government sells state houses in Tauranga they will walk away from housing in the city and never come back.
"We need many more state houses, not less. Nowhere in the world has the private sector ever provided quality, affordable housing for families on low incomes. It is only ever done by the state which has the resources and the capacity to house every family who needs a home."
"The most likely buyer for Tauranga state houses is Australian Company Horizon Housing. Just how local people are going to get any accountability from Horizon is anyone's guess,'' Mr Minto said.
Mr Minto will join Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller, community leader Harry Ormsby and community leader Graham Cameron as speakers on the night.
