Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
ORAL QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS
Question No. 1—Housing (Public Housing)
1. CHLÖE SWARBRICK (Green—Auckland Central) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. Does she have confidence in the current approach taken to enforcing the Healthy Homes Standards?
Hon POTO WILLIAMS (Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing)): Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. Yes.
Chlöe Swarbrick: What advice, if any, has she requested or received on current levels of compliance with the healthy homes standards and steps the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE) could take to improve enforcement?
Hon POTO WILLIAMS: I understand from MBIE that compliance is largely under way, four of five landlords have already started the work that they need to undertake, and that we have a couple of years yet to run before compliance measures need to be completely in place.
Chlöe Swarbrick: How many landlords or property managers have self-verified that their properties meet an exemption to the healthy homes standards, and what checks, if any, does MBIE have to ensure that properties meet the exemptions that are claimed?
Hon POTO WILLIAMS: Unfortunately, I don’t have the information on the exemptions—that’s quite specific—but I would be happy if the member would put that question down in writing. I’d be happy to answer that for her.
Chlöe Swarbrick: That question has been put in writing in the past. What additional resourcing would be required for MBIE to finally start collecting data on how many homes are healthy homes standards compliant?
Hon POTO WILLIAMS: I apologise to the member; I didn’t catch the middle part of that question.
DEPUTY SPEAKER: And before she asks the question, warning: don’t make a comment a narrative on previous answers. Thank you. Just ask the question.
Chlöe Swarbrick: Understood, Mr Speaker. What additional resourcing would MBIE require to finally start collecting data on how many homes are healthy homes standards compliant?
Hon POTO WILLIAMS: As the process traverses and as new tenants come on board and the tenancy agreements are in place and landlords have the 90 days in order to complete the work, this is a process that has a period of time to run. MBIE’s resources, for example, will continue to look at the compliance issues. Tenancy Services have undertaken over 1,000 compliance issues, but as we haven’t completed the process yet, it is difficult for me to actually give an estimate of that.
Chlöe Swarbrick: Is she concerned that, currently, the burden of compliance falls on tenants, when the Ministry of Health has provided over 8,000 mould-cleaning kits over the past 10 years to tenants and around 0.16 percent of poor quality rentals identified by the Healthy Homes Initiatives have been followed up by Tenancy Services?
Hon POTO WILLIAMS: The burden of compliance lies with landlords.
Chlöe Swarbrick: Is the Minister aware that MBIE currently does not have data on how many homes are healthy homes standards compliant?
Hon POTO WILLIAMS: As I’ve already explained, this is a process that will take until 2024 to complete, and Tenancy Services are undertaking compliance checks in that time. I’m fully expecting that over the course of time, landlords, as they’ve indicated, will meet the standards required.
Chris Bishop: How many State houses are yet to be brought up to the healthy homes standards?
Hon POTO WILLIAMS: I understand that 29,000 homes have already been completed and a further 10,000 homes are under way.
Chlöe Swarbrick: Will the Government consider fixing this problem of healthy homes standards compliance with a rental warrant of fitness so that all tenants can be confident that their homes meet required standards?
Hon POTO WILLIAMS: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone can live in a warm, dry, and safe home. That’s why we introduced the healthy homes standards, which still have two years to run to reach full private-sector compliance. Landlords who do not comply will either be investigated by Tenancy Services or be held accountable by the Tenancy Tribunal.
