the question, in relation to what I have ministerial responsibility for, 293 motel places were being provided as transitional housing in the last quarter of 2017, and in the last quarter of 2020 there were 907 places being provided. There were also 983 additional motel places provided as part of the Government’s COVID-19 response in the last quarter of 2020. These are the additional places we funded to ensure that all New Zealanders had the opportunity to safely isolate during the lockdown.
I’m particularly proud of what we achieved last year during the COVID-19 lockdown, with one community leader saying, "it’s the closest we’ve come in a generation to getting everybody off the street." I do note there are other motel places funded that I do not have ministerial responsibility for, such as through the emergency housing special needs grant administered by Ministry of Social Development. The number of clients receiving an emergency housing special needs grant has increased from 2,880 in the last quarter of 2017 to 8,503 in the last quarter of 2020. Corrections also provide accommodation. However, figures are not centrally held and are not possible to generate in the time frame available.
Nicola Willis: Is she really saying that as the Minister of Housing, she takes no responsibility for the fact that there are, on her watch, thousands more families, four times as many—
SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member will ask a question. You've got one.
Nicola Willis: Is she really saying that—
SPEAKER: No, not again. Just finish.
Nicola Willis: —are being forced to raise their children in motels on her watch?
Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I think if the member listened to my answer, what she would have heard is me outline the bits that I have direct ministerial responsibility for— that come under the appropriation which I am responsible for—and what comes under the Ministry of Social Development, for which a colleague has responsibility. I also pointed to the piece of work that I, as the Minister of Housing, am responsible for, and that is the delivery for additional transitional homes. I do take, absolutely, responsibility for that, because, no, I do not believe it is a place to raise a child—in a motel. But even more, I do not think a car or a garage or a street is a place to raise a child.
Now, that member is a member of a party that in Government refused to admit that we had a homelessness problem. In fact, after nine years in Government, a petition was brought to this House calling on there to be a strategy, a policy, and even a Minister to address homelessness. In 2016, when there was finally some money put in to provide motel rooms, Paula Bennett said that the 3,000 emergency beds being funded through Budget 2016 were only funding what was already being provided because it was just not tenable to deliver the needed beds. So that member should hang her head in shame when it comes to homelessness.
Nicola Willis: Does she take direct responsibility for the fact that her Government is now spending a million dollars a day to house people in motels and boarding hostels?
Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: What I also take direct responsibility for is the fact that we are a Government that is willing to admit, address, and finally get some action on the fact that we have a homelessness problem in this country. We have funded the provision of 6,641 transitional housing places in this country. That is going to deliver more than three times what was available. We are a Government with a plan, we are delivering on it, we are willing to admit it, and we are actually funding it.
Hon Chris Hipkins: Would New Zealand have such a need for emergency housing if the previous Government had built additional State houses at the rate the current Government is building them?
SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Hon Chris Hipkins: Yes, it’s completely within order.
