Government plans to build another 1000 state houses

3.00pm

The Government plans to build another 1054 State homes and make improvements to another 856 with money set aside in today's Budget.

The Budget allocates $128.9 million over the next three years to Housing New Zealand Corporation to acquire new State houses.

This takes the total for next year for the purchase of new State homes to $232m.

The Government said details would be announced next week but the money would be spent buying 1054 homes and making improvements to another 856 houses for State tenants.

In 2003/04, some $320m was available to acquire housing stock and modernise existing homes.

Housing Minister Steve Maharey also today said further funding of $4.8m was being provided in 2004/05 to continue to repair substandard housing in Northland, East Coast and the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

The Ministry of Housing was getting $3.4m to extend the Residential Tenancies Act to boarding houses once legislation currently before Parliament was passed.

The Act defines the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants and sets out disputes resolution processes.

It will be reviewed with $700,000 allocated in the budget.

The ministry will use some of the $3.4m funding allocation to better inform landlords and tenants about trends in the rental market.

A database, costing $1.3m to set up, would allow people to access information about past Tenancy Tribunal decisions.

- NZPA