KEY POINTS:
Housing New Zealand bosses were yesterday forced to defend the accommodation of gang members in state houses, in response to questions from National MPs in a parliamentary select committee.
Housing Minister Maryan Street, Housing NZ chairman Pat Snedden and chief executive Lesley McTurk presented a report on projections for 2008-09, focusing on significant investment in affordable housing.
Ms Street said $35 million would be invested in the Government's proposed shared equity plot, while other investment would focus on improving energy efficiency in state homes.
Under questioning from National housing spokesman Phil Heatley, Ms Street said the corporation did not want Housing NZ houses associated with gang activity.
But "frequently there are women and children who are in relationships with gang members. I am very concerned that we house the women and particularly the children appropriately."
Police responded to reports of criminal activity from any tenant.
Dr McTurk said Housing NZ did have programmes in place to look after the surrounding communities and was sensitive about the placement of tenants. Mr Heatley asked if this meant ensuring tenants from rival gangs were not placed next door to each other. Housing gangs "sensitively" seemed to mean housing one set of gangs in one area of a suburb and one in another, he said.
Select committee deputy chairwoman Judith Collins (National) said she was concerned this meant gangs got to dictate who or how people got houses that became available.
Mr Snedden said there was a social allocation system within the housing process, and the priority was to address need.
People had all sorts of relationships in their lives, he said.
Any tenants engaging in criminal behaviour in Housing NZ properties would be evicted.
New Zealand First said it was outrageous that gang members were given state houses while thousands of desperate families were on waiting lists.
- NZPA
